Your medial collateral ligament (MCL), which is located on the inside of your knee, helps to keep your knee joint stable. The MCL connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia). The MCL can become injured when your knee is pushed outside its typical range of motion —due to a twisting motion or a blow to the outside of the knee. You can also sprain your MCL if you catch your foot in the ground – such as in a hole or turf – and then try to turn to the side, away from the planted leg.
MCL sprains are common in athletes, especially if you participate in direct contact sports like soccer or football. You will recognize the injury when these symptoms occur:
- Feeling of your knee “giving way”
- Hearing or feeling a pop or snap at the time of injury
- Pain on the inner side of your knee, or general sharp pain and soreness in the knee
- Swelling and tenderness in your knee
The team at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute provides the most advanced diagnostics and treatments available to patients with sports-related injuries. Our revolutionary concept in sports medicine brings together a comprehensive team of highly-trained medical professionals in a state-of-the-art facility to provide the best possible care for our patients.
Tests
Physical examination
Your doctor will conduct a complete physical examination – along with collecting your health history – to help make a diagnosis. The doctor may also check the range of motion in your knee using a Varus stress test.
Treatments
Physical therapy
On most occasions, your health care provider will prescribe rehabilitation therapy. Our physical therapists establish a unique care plan that includes specific interventions for each patient’s condition and situation that will ease pain and improve mobility and range of motion in the knee.
Medication
Our doctors may recommend that you take an anti-inflammatory or additional medication for pain management while receiving treatment.
Surgery
In some cases, surgical reconstruction of the MCL may be required. Similar to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, this is a multi-step, one-day procedure that is as minimally invasive as possible to ensure a faster recovery from pain and injury.
Why Choose the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute?
World-Class Care in an Academic Health System. As a research and teaching institution, we treat children and adults with proven, leading-edge procedures based on clinical studies performed at the Miller School of Medicine. Our doctors, residents, nurses, and therapists work together to create healthy outcomes.
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