A sprain is a joint injury that causes a stretch or tear in a ligament, a strong band of tissue connecting one bone to the other. The medial collateral ligament is located on the inner side of the knee. It attaches the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia).
Sprains vary from minor tears in a few fibers of ligament to complete tears of entire ligaments. Complete tears make the joint very loose and unstable.
This injury usually occurs when a blow to the outer side of the knee causes stretching or tearing of the medial collateral ligament. It can also be caused by twisting the knee.
Symptoms may include the following:
Your health care provider will ask how you injured yourself and will examine your knee. He or she will gently move your knee around to see if the joint is stable and if the ligament is stretched or torn. Your provider may order x-rays or a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of your knee.
Treatment may include:
Torn medial collateral ligaments rarely need surgery.
While you are recovering from your injury, you will need to change your sport or activity to one that does not make your condition worse. For example, you may need to swim instead of run. Your provider may give you a brace to wear if you need to participate in sports or other activities while you are recovering.
The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury at a different rate. Return to your sport or activity will be determined by how soon your knee recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better.
You may safely return to your sport or activity when, starting from the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the following is true:
If you feel that your knee is giving way or if you develop pain or have swelling in your knee, you should see your health care provider.
Unfortunately, most injuries to the medial collateral ligament occur during accidents that are not preventable. However, you may be able to avoid these injuries by having strong thigh and hamstring muscles, as well as by gently stretching your legs before and after exercising. In activities such as skiing, be sure your ski bindings are set correctly by a trained professional so that your skis will release when you fall.