The surgery will either repair or reconstruct the MCL. To repair the ligament,
your surgeon will make an incision at the torn area and use fixation devices called suture anchors to secure the ligament back to the bone
. To reconstruct the ligament, your surgeon will use tendons from either your knee or a cadaver knee.
How do you fix a MCL injury?
Most MCL injuries can be treated at home with
rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medicine
. Your doctor may suggest that you use crutches and wear a brace that protects but allows for some movement of your knee. You may need to reduce your activity for a few weeks.
Can you repair MCL?
MCL Treatment
Since Grade III MCL injuries are complete tears,
the ligament is unable to heal itself and surgery is needed
. Surgery may also be needed if there is any grade of an MCL tear along with other ligament issues.
How do they repair an MCL without surgery?
If you have a mild MCL strain, it can heal on its own with
rest, ice, and other self-care
. You’ll need to raise your sore knee when you put ice on it, keep weight off the joint, and protect and compress the injury with a knee brace or elastic bandage.
Is walking good for MCL sprain?
Your physical therapist may advise you to: Rest your knee and
avoid walking or any activity that causes pain
. They may recommend using crutches and a knee brace to reduce further strain on your MCL when walking. Apply ice packs to the area for 15 to 20 minutes every two hours.
Is walking good for torn ligaments?
If the MCL or ACL tears, the result is usually pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability.
In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament
. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates.
Does knee brace help MCL?
For grade III MCL tears, patients will be placed in a hinged knee brace and use crutches until pain has subsided
. The knee may be immobilized for a few days, but early range of motion will help with the healing process.
How do I strengthen my MCL?
Is MCL the same as meniscus?
While MCL injuries are generally a result of a direct blow to the outer side of the knee that pushes the knee inwards, meniscus injuries are usually the product of direct pressure on the knee following a forced twist or rotation.
What torn MCL feels like?
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 do you know if your MCL is torn or sprained?
An individual with an MCL tear may notice the following:
A popping sound when the injury is sustained
. Pain (ranging from mild to severe depending on injury grade) on the inside of the knee. Instability, or feeling like the knee cannot bear weight and may give out.
How do you sleep with a torn MCL?
To find a comfortable sleep position,
use a pillow to support the painful parts
. You can put the pillow: between your knees, if you sleep on your side. under your knees, if you sleep on your back.
Can you get a blood clot from a torn MCL?
When the MCL is torn, a blood clot forms
, setting into motion a natural repair process involving “healing” blood cells that help correct the tear. The protocol for treating an MCL injury is determined by the severity of the tear.
Can MCL grow back?
The joint remains unstable until natural healing forms new fibers across the gap or a surgeon sews the ends together. Fortunately, the medial collateral ligament has a great blood supply. Unlike the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the middle of the knee,
the MCL can usually heal on its own
.
How do I know if my knee injury is serious?
- Swelling. In most cases, it is normal for your knee to contain a bit of fluid around the injured area. …
- Pop sound. …
- Impossible to bear weight. …
- Your knee giving out or buckling under pressure. …
- A locked knee. …
- Inability to fully extend the knee.
What is the fastest way to recover from an MCL injury?
- Rest.
- Application of an ice pack application to reduce swelling that occurs hours after the injury.
- Compression using an elastic bandage or brace.
- Elevating the knee.
- Pain relievers.
Does massage help MCL injury?
It is important to remember that
an acute injury (less than 24 hours), injury with swelling, and a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury with an untreated fracture are never massaged
. It is best to get rest and keep the affected area immobilized.
Is bike riding good for MCL injury?
You may ride the stationary bicycle daily for 10 to 20 minutes
. Avoid using stair-stepper machines, doing deep knee bends and squats or any exercise that causes crunching, clicking or pain at the kneecap.
Can you bend your knee with a torn MCL?
Swelling can spread to other areas of the knee joint in the days following the injury. The knee may feel stiff, and
a person may have difficulty straightening their leg or bending their knee
. They may also find climbing the stairs or sitting in a chair challenging as this requires them to bend their knee.
Can you bend your knee with a torn meniscus?
You can fully bend and straighten your knee without pain
. You feel no pain in your knee when you walk, jog, sprint, or jump. Your knee is no longer swollen.
What foods help repair ligaments?
- Manganese – nuts, legumes, seeds, whole grains, leafy green veggies.
- Omega-3 – as listed above, salmon, mackerel, etc.
- Vitamin A – liver, carrots, sweet potato, kale, spinach, apricots, broccoli, winter squash.
