What is the medial collateral ligament (MCL)? The MCL is one of the main four ligaments that is part of the knee. This ligament is a broad, thick band that runs down the inner part of the knee, from the femur to the top of the tibia, but is located outside the joint itself. The job of the MCL is to support the knee with the help of the other ligaments in the knee. When stress is applied to this ligament it aids control in transferring the join through a normal range of motion. Also, the MCL prevents an anterior movement of the tibia and hyperextension. Other roles of the MCL include joint proprioception, when stretched beyond limits. The MCL is understood as being the most common ligament injury of the knee. While the MCL plays an important …show more content…
Ligament injuries can be a stretch of the ligament or a tear. A MCL injury is usually cause by a blow to the knee which is common in contact sports. MCL injuries can be categorized by three grades. A grade one MCL injury is the least severe. This just means that the ligament has been stretched but is not torn. A grade two MCL injury means that the ligament has been partially torn, which can cause instability in the knee joint. A grade three MCL injury is the most severe grade of injury. It occurs when the ligament has been completely torn. Joint instability is very common in the knee with this type of sprain. Some symptoms that a person may experience when having injured their MCL are: a popping sound, pain and tenderness along the inner part of the knee, swelling of the knee, a feeling that your knee is going to give out, and a locking or catching in the knee joint. If you are having problem with stability of the knee that indicates a grade two or three sprain. There is special test that are performed to indicate injury to the MCL. For example, the valgus stress test allows the examination for joint laxity. For this test the patient should be placed in the supine position and the test should be performed at a thirty-degree flexion of the