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Ency. home > Injury > M > Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury
Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury See images
Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention
Knee injury - medial collateral ligament (MCL); MCL injury
Definition:
MCL injury is a stretch, partial tear, or complete tear of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee.
Considerations A physical examination with a medial collateral ligament test (valgus stress at 25 degrees of flexion) results in unchanged knee joint tightness. This test involves bending the knee to 25 degrees and putting pressure on the outside surface of the knee. Causes The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a ligament extending from the upper-inside surface of the tibia to the bottom-inside surface of the femur. The ligament prevents the knee joint from medial instability, that is, instability in the inside of the joint.
Other tests may include:
The MCL is usually injured by pressure placed on the knee-joint from the outside or lateral pressure, resulting in stress on the inside of the knee joint (valgus stress).
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