Polite Dissent

It’s OK Alfred, let me talk to the big guy:

The Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) is one of the four main ligaments that stabilize the knee (the others are the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)). The MCL provides stability for the inside aspect of the knee.

MCL tears are a common sports injury. They occur when a person’s foot is firmly planted and a strong blow is delivered to the outer aspect of the knee. A good example of this is a clipping injury in football. Sometimes an injury to the MCL also involves the ACL or meniscus; these are more serious and require more time to heal.

Symptoms of an MCL injury are pain and swelling over the ligament. There may be bruising and swelling of the entire knee as well.

Isolated MCL tears rarely require surgery. For simple sprains, RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and anti-inflammatory medications are suggested. More severe sprains and tears require the use of a hinged knee brace and probably some physical therapy. Except for the most minor of sprains, MCL injuries require several weeks — if not several months — of recovery time. If the ACL or meniscus are injured along with the MCL then surgery is probably required.

Top image from Batman: Jekyll & Hyde #4, written by Paul Jenkins, penciled by Sean Phillips. The graphic of the knee anatomy looks like it was taken from Netter’s.