Medial Collateral Ligament MCL Rehabilitation Post Surgery, Tear, Sprain or Rupture!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- In todays video we look at how to recover from an MCL injury whether that is a grade 1, 2 or 3 injury and also for those who have had surgery for complete tears/ full ruptures.
Firstly what is the MCL?
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a wide, thick band of tissue that runs down the inner part of the knee from the thighbone (femur) to a point on the shinbone (tibia) about 4 to 6 inches from the knee. The MCL's main function is to prevent the leg from extending too far inward, but it also helps keep the knee stable and allows it to rotate.
Why do people tear the MCL?
Injuries to the medial collateral ligament most often happen when the knee is hit directly on its outer side. This stretches the ligaments on the inside of the knee too far or can tear them. It is not uncommon for athletes to suffer tears of the medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament at the same time. The ligament also can be injured through repeated stress. This causes the ligament to lose its normal stretch and elasticity similar to a worn-out rubber band.
What symptoms do those who have MCL injury's usually have?
If the medial collateral ligament has been damaged or torn, you will usually have:
Pain, which can range from mild to severe
Stiffness Swelling Tenderness along the inside of the knee
A feeling that the injured knee may give way under stress or may lock or catch
How are tears in the medial collateral ligament diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask you to describe how the knee was injured, whether you have had other knee injuries and how your knee has felt since the injury. You may be asked about your physical and athletic goals. This helps your doctor decide what treatment might be best for you. During the physical exam, the inside of the injured knee will be checked for pain or tenderness. Pressure will be put on the outside of the knee while the leg is both bent and straight. Depending on the degree of pain or looseness of your knee joint, the injury will be classified as:
Grade 1 - Some tenderness and minor pain.
Grade 2 - Noticeable looseness in the knee when moved by hand; major pain and tenderness at the inside of the knee; swelling, in some cases. Grade 3 - Considerable pain and tenderness at the inside of the knee; some swelling and marked joint instability. The knee opens up about 1 centimeter (slightly less than half an inch) when the doctor moves your leg around. A grade 3 MCL tear often occurs along with a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. If the immediate pain and swelling makes it too difficult to judge how severe the injury is, you may need to wear a light splint, apply ice and raise the knee. Once the swelling and pain have lessened, your doctor will make the diagnosis. Your doctor may order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. An MRI has an accuracy rate of nearly 90 percent in determining whether and how badly a medial collateral ligament tear is.
How are tears in the medial collateral ligament treated?
The medial collateral ligament has a good blood supply and usually responds well to nonsurgical treatment. Depending on how bad the injury is, it may be enough to rest the knee, wear a brace, take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and have physical therapy. To keep the knee from moving, your doctor may recommend a lightweight cast or brace that allows your knee to move backward and forward but limits side-to-side motion. This usually is recommended for 72 hours. Depending on how well your pain and swelling improve, you may be able to start a rehabilitative program in a few days. Once pain and swelling have gone down, you should be able to start exercises to restore strength and normal range of motion to your knee. If you are still sore while doing exercises, you should proceed slowly to prevent further irritation. It may take a week to eight weeks to completely recover, depending on the seriousness of your injury. A torn medial collateral ligament is rarely treated with surgery. When surgery is done, it is usually done through a small incision on the inside of your knee. It is not done arthroscopically, since this ligament is not inside the knee joint. If the medial collateral ligament has been torn where it attaches to the thighbone or shinbone, the surgeon will reattach the ligament to the bone using large stitches, a metal screw or a bone staple. If the tear was in the middle of the ligament, the surgeon will sew the torn ends together.
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Loved the way you explained every thing very perfectly and in simple manner.
Best video I’ve found on MCL. Thank you
Thank you Travis
Best video yet definitely deserves a surscribe
Definitely one of the best, if not the best video on understanding & treating an MCL injury.
great advice thanks
Hi, very nicely explained exercises for MCL. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Travis, your informative videos are some of the best on the internet. Well demonstrated and explained. Extremely helpful! Thank you!🙏🏻
Thank you so much , I shall get to work tomorrow , as I have had my I hurt since December suspected test in medial ligament, naughty me I have continued to train with the injury , now time to listen and recover correctly
Thanks heaps for the video I have saved it to my email and will watch and use it for my recovery. I came off my motorcycle due to someone cutting me off and now I’m on the mend. Thanks
Wishing you all the best Corza!
THANK YOU for this video. Very informative and I am fortunate to have gained some valuable knowledge for my healing.
Hi Travis,
Thanks for the video, very educational and helpful for proper recovery. Do you have any videos for shin splints ?
Please post a link when possible.
Thank you much,
Sanjay
Hi Sanjay,
Thank you for the kind words, I do not have anything produced on shin splints but I will add it to my list!
Kind regards,
Travis
Hi travis. I injured my mcl and meniscus 2 months ago. Right now i am already at my second phase of my recovery. My range of motion is almost 100% but my knee sometimes click and pop when straightening my leg after it is fully bend. What is the cause of this and how may I treat this clicking issue? Thank you for this video it is really helpful!!!
I'm so grateful 🙏🏽 to have found you! Love the way you explained everything to detail! Im 8wks post op. Do you recommend to wear any knee brace while doing these exercises?
I was hit by a car when I 🚶♀️🚗 stopped to help a couple who lost control. Out of all my injuries I only had to have my MCL reconstructed. My surgery was on Feb 15th. The guy who hit me had no insurance and I can't afford Physical therapy. Was thinking of only going for a few sessions and do the rest at home. Your video has definitely helped alot! Thank you so much! Blessings 🙌🏽 to you and yours🙏🏽
Hi Perla!
Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it! Sorry to hear that happened to you! In answer to your question with regards the knee brace, I try where possible not to advise them to keep the knee non restricted. I do have some clients whereby factors such as age, personality and risk of reinjury means I may advise them to wear a brace. But where possible I try not to advise it.
If you ever need any specific 1-1 or online coaching don't hesitate to contact me via my website. Wishing you all the best with your recovery!
Kind regards,
Travis
@@UKFHДобрый день, Тревис! Скажите пожалуйста, у меня повреждения медиальных менисков обоих коленных суставов, мениски восстанавливаются или как то регенерируются?
@@user-hd5yw9cv2d Мениск имеет ограниченное кровоснабжение и, следовательно, имеет ограниченную способность к самостоятельному заживлению. Только внешняя треть мениска содержит кровеносные сосуды, необходимые для заживления.
@@UKFH Ясно, значит нужно укреплять мышцы и связки с сухожилиями вокруг колена, особенно медиальные, у меня они как раз иногда беспокоят, а так у меня 2 года назад было повреждение медиального мениска на правом колене по 3 и 4 Столеру. Сейчас занимаюсь гимнастикой, хотелось бы от вас получить упражнения или советы по этой теме.
Thanks for a great video! Regarding cardio, do you think swimming is suitable once you are in phase 2 of the recovery?
Hey Talina!
Thank you for the question, it does depend on the severity of the injury as to when someone can return to swimming post injury however with a grade 1 tear for example, I would target a client being able to swim in weeks 2-4.
Kind regards,
Travis
Thanks and for more serious like grade 2 is it just a longer recovery time ?
Hi Travis. I injured my mcl about 8 years ago. It hurt but I never got it checked out as it healed really quickly and I was running again within a week. However 8 years on, there's still a soreness where the initial injury was and it never really went away. Is this common?
Really appreciate your input. Awesome vid by the way!
Hi Bread,
Thank you for the question, yes that is really common. If you are at all worried however, an MRI would be able to indicate if there was anything sinister going on with your knee. Often general soreness is not something to worry about however some clients that I have dealt with in your situation like to get imaging such as an MRI just for peace of mind, especially if they never got it checked out in the first place.
Kindest regards,
Travis
@@UKFH you're an absolute gem Travis. Thanks. Artificial grass and bladed studs were the culprits. Now everytime my left foot is planted and a force is exerted on the lateral side, I feel soreness in that exact spot.
Was just wondering how a seemingly minor injury sticks around for such a long time.
Cheers, Travis.
Hey man, thanks for the tips.
I've injured my both knees, right is torn meniscus/ACL and left one is partially torn MCL. How should I go about "relaying" on my "healthy" knee, when there isn't one? What kind of prevention should I do in order to avoid future injuries? Thanks in advance! 🙏
Hi F1ollower,
That is a very good question, if you was my client I would probably do a completely different rehab on both legs as annoying as that answer is. The answer to your second question is much easier, in the long run the best way to get the knee less likely for injury is a well constructed rehabilitation focusing on the stabalisation of the knee then strength of the Gastrocnemius, Hamstring, Quadricep and Glutes ongoing to ensure the knee is as well protected from a muscular point of view as possible.
Kindest regards,
Travis
@@UKFH thank you very much for those tips, much appreciated 🙏
Hi ! Thank you for your very useful video ! It's great to share with us your pro experience !:) i have 43 years old. In the middle of november 2021 i was with my ebike away from home and from a weird rotation movement i heard a pop and my knee feel weird. In that day it was ok and i pedal normaly to my home just with a weird feel in my knee sometimes. Next day i go to hospital and the doctor told me to take some medicines and to see how i will feel after few days. I still pedal with my bike to my job and after few days my knee was realy bad with some pain. He told me that i was doing wrong pedaling on my bike in my situation but i told to him that i felt good and that's i did it. The doctor put my leg in a brace for almost 6 weeks tolding that it was a partial MCL injurie. Meantime my knee was swollen because i must do my work and i can't stay all the time in bed. I put few time ice daily and take some medicines. Now the doctor told me that i must do some exercises to recover my knee. It hurts a little sometimes, my knee is not so stiff like 3 days ago but now he are a little swolen and i don't know if is normal to feel a little pain doing some exercises or not ..i don 't want to do something wrong. My question is : it's normal to feel some little pain when doing the exercises ? Doctor told me that the knee must be put to work, otherwise it will remain stuck in a weird position. This is true ? Also please tell me what exercises i must do and how frequently because i'm affraid to do something wrong and i don't want that. I read that a final heal of a knee after this it will be in 2 months....It's normal to feel some little pain sometimes when i do some exercises and my knee feel a little stiff ? I throw away the knee brace just 3 days ago, maybe it's a temporary strange feeling but i need my knee to be full recovered. When it will be ok to pedal on my bike again ? Please help me with advices from your experience and i wish you a new and healthy year ! Thank you very much and excuse my poor english. :)
Hello Devourermastikator,
You have great English! I hope you are recovering well since you sent this comment. It is normal to feel a little pain when doing the exercises, the important thing is that the pain is not sharp or really painful. If pain is low/dull or the knee feels generally tight that would not concern me at all. Often athletes who want to get back to sports will try to rush rehabilitation so just remember to allow the knee to rest inbetween rehabilitation work. Stay positive, keep slowly progressing the exercises and I am sure you will be back cycling soon!
Kindest regards,
Travis
Will gentle cycling on the stationary bike help to decrease knee effusion, or will it make it worse? 10 weeks post injury, MCL and ACL , I still have effusion. I have had it aspirated twice, but the fluid keeps coming back.
Hi Gary,
That's a tricky question as when initial swelling has gone down and the individual starts exercising it can cause another load of swelling to occur or conversely no swelling can occur at all, overtime this does get better though however in-between exercise the recommendation is to elevate, rest and ice as much as possible to ensure flare ups decrease.
I don't think I have actually had an athlete need to have the knee aspirated! Sorry to hear that you have needed that.
Kind regards,
Travis
How many days after mcl injury should start working out?
Hi Ansar,
That is a hard question to answer as the time required for MCL rehabilitation and return to sport varies with grade of strain and pain-free weight-bearing. Duration can range from approximately 3 to 12 weeks with grade 1-2 injuries and grade 3 or full ruptures can take up to 8 months for an athlete to get back to competitive sports i.e football players, rugby players etc.
Travis hello, there was an injury, dislocation of the acromioclavicular end. what exercise do you recommend to start the knitting needles removed 20 days ago
Некруз,
Where are you from? If you would like I can turn on the videos subtitles in your language? :)
@@UKFH I'm from Russia, turn on subtitles on the video about AC I will be very grateful
Некруз,
I have now added Russian subtitles to my AC Joint rehabilitation video. Go to settings on the bottom right of the video and you can change English subtitles to Russian now.
Желаю хорошего дня!
Travis
@@UKFH Спасибо большое, дорогой
Hi Travis, i hurt my MCL 3 weeks ago. My knee is not swollen, i only feel pain. Could it be grade 1 or 2 injury?
Hi Nicholas,
The only sure way to know would be an MRI, that way there can be a proper diagnosis concluded. Its good that there is no swelling but if you are concerned at all and it continues not to get better do visit a Physiotherapist.
Kind regards,
Travis
@@UKFH OK thanks.
My injury is a little complicated and not from a sudden impact but my MRI came back as Grade 1 MCL sprain and 4 weeks since MRI and i still cant bare full weight and have tenderness/weakness in medial portion of knee. Im 4sessions into PT and just want to know what you think is the reason for why such a simple diagnoses yet im still not able to walk without crutches.
Hey Joe,
Hard to say without seeing and assessing you in person. Typically, a grade 1 sprain should feel much better in 4 weeks! As long as you are progressing slowly try not to get too caught up on the timescale. If you are not progressing however and are following exercise prescription don't be afraid of getting a second opinion!
Kind regards,
Travis
@@UKFH thanks for that! Yea I am progressing slowly but surely so there is that. Just cant wait for my life to be back to normal.
I don't know the why of the exercise. Why mcl we do quad work?. .
Hi Ryan,
The MCL is the static stabilizer of the inner knee, so it works in conjunction with the dynamic stabilizers of the medial knee, the semimembranosus complex, vastus medialis, and pes anserinus. So it is important to get the muscles that attach onto the medial knee strong to support MCL rehabilitation. With those who have surgery a typical rehabilitation program will initially focus on controlling knee edema and slowly progress to improving knee range of motion and quadriceps function to support the injured knee.
Kind regards,
Travis
Can i ask you i have been asking speacialists and every is saying differend answer i have lordosis. The first offered for me exercises, swimming and massage and it helped then other two told me that just do same exercises over and over but nothing changed and it's been 2.5 years when i noticed i had lordosis. The one doctor said to me that it will be forever in your life and i felt sad the other said it will cure fully or almost i dont know what to do anymore i bought hard mattrez and it helped a bit but, im not sure is this enough? And yea i have pain i didnt go away but curve is going better but the pain is still.
And pain in upper back but not in neck
I slipped at the supermarket and tore my MCL grade 3
Hi Mama,
Ouch! Sounds nasty, wishing you all the best with your recovery!
Kindest regards,
Travis
MCL is a bitch. But if you rest too long, you’ll regret because muscle is crucial !