• Skip to main content
Search
  • Home
  • Services
      • Behavioral Health
      • Bloodless Medicine
      • Brain & Spine
      • Cancer Care
      • Ear, Nose and Throat
      • Emergency Care
      • Senior Health
      • Heart & Vascular Care
      • Home Health Care
      • Immediate Care
      • Medical Imaging
      • Minimally Invasive Surgery
      • Orthopedics
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Rehabilitation Services
      • Weight Loss Surgery
      • Wound Healing & Care
      • Women's Health
  • Doctors
      • Find a Primary Care Doctor
      • Find a Doctor
      • Physician Referral
      • Practices:

        Baptist Primary Care
      • Baptist AgeWell
      • Baptist Behavioral Health
      • Baptist Endocrinology
      • Baptist ENT Specialists
      • Baptist Heart Specialists
      • Baptist Infectious Diseases
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Physicians
      • Baptist Neurology
      • Baptist Pediatrics
      • Baptist Pulmonary Specialists (Nassau)
      • Baptist Rheumatology
      • Baptist Urology Group (Nassau)
      • Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute
      • Lyerly Neurosurgery
  • Locations
    • Our Hospitals:

      • Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
      • Baptist Medical Center South
      • Baptist Medical Center Beaches
      • Baptist Medical Center Nassau
      • Baptist Heart Hospital
      • Wolfson Children's Hospital

      Emergency Rooms (ER):

      • All ER Locations

      Imaging:

      • By Location

      • Imaging Center Locations
      • By Service

      • MRI
      • Bone Density
      • Screening Mammography
      • Diagnostic Mammography
      • Ultrasound
      • Vascular Ultrasound
      • CT Scan
      • PET Scan
      • Nuclear Medicine
      • X-Ray

      Urgent Care Locations:

      • Baptist Health Clinics at Walgreens
      • CareSpot Urgent Care

      Outpatient Locations:

      • AgeWell Center for Senior Health
      • Baptist Clay Medical Campus
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center
      • Baptist Neurodiagnostic Center
      • Baptist North Medical Campus
      • Heart and Vascular Testing Centers
      • Hill Breast Center
      • Infusion Center
      • Pharmacy
      • Rehabilitation Centers
      • Robotic Spine Surgery
      • Sleep Centers
      • Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center
      • Surgery Centers
      • Wound Care

      Health & Wellness:

      • 4her Wellness Resources for Women
      • JCA Wellness Connexion
      • Y Healthy Living Centers
  • Patient Info
      • Billing & Insurance Information
      • Insurance Plans Accepted
      • Cost Estimate Request
      • Financial Assistance Program
      • My Baptist Connect (Patient Portal)
      • Medical Records
      • Classes and Events
      • Clinical Trials
      • Tell Us What You Think
  • Health Library
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Symptoms
      • Tests
      • Surgeries and Procedures
      • Injuries
      • Nutrition
      • Poison
      • Drug Information
      • Drug Images
      • Health News
      • Video Library
  • About Us
      • Administration
      • Awards & Honors
      • Careers
      • Provider Opportunities
      • Baptist MD Anderson Provider Opportunities
      • Spiritual Care
      • Social Responsibility
      • Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
      • Corporate Wellness (PATH)
      • Volunteering
      • Newsroom
  • Juice
      • Health News Overview:

      • Aging Well
      • Brain, Spine & Nerve
      • Cancer
      • Child Health
      • Community Health
      • Diabetes
      • Ear, Nose & Throat
      • Heart & Vascular
      • Lungs, Breathing & Sleep
      • Mental Health
      • Orthopedics, Bones & Muscles
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Wellness
      • Women's Health
      • Men's Health
  1. Home
  2. Health Library
  3. Collateral ligament (CL) injury - aftercare

Collateral ligament (CL) injury - aftercare

Medial collateral ligament injury - aftercare; MCL injury - aftercare; Lateral collateral ligament injury - aftercare; LCL injury - aftercare; Knee injury - collateral ligament

A ligament is a band of tissue that connects a bone to another bone. The collateral ligaments of the knee are located on the outside part of your knee joint. They help connect the bones of your upper and lower leg, around your knee joint.

  • The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) runs on the outer side of your knee.
  • The medial collateral ligament (MCL) runs along the inside of your knee.

A collateral ligament injury occurs when the ligaments are stretched or torn. A partial tear occurs when only part of the ligament is torn. A complete tear occurs when the entire ligament is torn into two pieces.

The collateral ligaments help keep your knee stable. They help keep your leg bones in place and keep your knee from moving too far sideways.

A collateral ligament injury can occur if you get hit very hard on the inside or outside of your knee, or when you have a twisting injury.

Skiers and people who play basketball, football, or soccer are more likely to have this type of injury.

What to Expect

With a collateral ligament injury, you may notice:

  • A loud pop when the injury occurs
  • Your knee is unstable and can shift side to side as if it "gives way"
  • Locking or catching of the knee with movement
  • Knee swelling
  • Knee pain along the inside or outside of your knee

Knee pain
Knee pain 

After examining your knee, the doctor may order these imaging tests:

  • An MRI of the knee. An MRI machine takes special pictures of the tissues inside your knee. The pictures will show whether these tissues have been stretched or torn.
  • X-rays to check for damage to the bones in your knee.

If you have a collateral ligament injury, you may need:

  • Crutches to walk until the swelling and pain get better
  • A brace to support and stabilize your knee
  • Physical therapy to help improve joint motion and leg strength

Most people do not need surgery for an MCL injury. However, you may need surgery if your LCL is injured or if your injuries are severe and involve other ligaments in your knee.

Self-care at Home

Follow R.I.C.E. to help reduce pain and swelling:

  • Rest your leg. Avoid putting weight on it.
  • Ice your knee for 20 minutes at a time, 3 to 4 times a day.
  • Compress the area by wrapping it with an elastic bandage or compression wrap.
  • Elevate your leg by raising it above the level of your heart.

You can use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) to reduce pain and swelling. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) helps with pain, but not swelling. You can buy these pain medicines at the store.

  • Talk with your doctor before using these medicines if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or have had stomach ulcers or internal bleeding in the past.
  • DO NOT take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or by your doctor.

Activity

You should not put all of your weight on your leg if it hurts, or if your doctor tells you not to. Rest and self-care may be enough to allow the tear to heal. You should use crutches to protect the injured ligament.

You may need to work with a physical therapist (PT) to regain knee and leg strength. The PT will teach you exercises to strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around your knee.

As your knee heals, you can return to normal activities and maybe play sports again.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your doctor if:

  • You have increased swelling or pain
  • Self-care does not seem to help
  • You lose feeling in your foot
  • Your foot or leg feels cold or changes color

If you have surgery, call the doctor if you have:

  • A fever of 100°F (38°C) or higher
  • Drainage from the incisions
  • Bleeding that won't stop

References

Lento P, Marshall B, Akuthota V. Collateral ligament sprain. In: Frontera, WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD, Jr, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 66.

Miller RH, Azar FM. Knee injuries. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 45.

Niska JA, Petrigliano FA, McAllister DR. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries (including revision). In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 98.

Wilson BF, Johnson DL. Medial collateral ligament and posterior medial corner injuries. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 100.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 4/21/2019

Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

 
 
 

 

 

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.
Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.

Self Care

  • Collateral ligament (CL) injury - aftercare

Daily Health and Medical News

Results for aftercare, cl, collateral, collateral ligament (cl) injury - aftercare, injury

  • Kidney Injury on the Rise in Women Hospitalized During Pregnancy
    November 13, 2019

  • Is Head Injury Causing Dementia? MRI Might Show
    October 28, 2019

  • Cases of Serious Vaping-Linked Lung Injury Now Top 1,000
    October 03, 2019

  • Vets With Traumatic Brain Injury Have Higher Suicide Risk: Study
    September 11, 2019

  • Health Officials Close in on Culprit in Vaping Lung Injury Cases
    September 05, 2019

© Copyright 2019 | All Rights Reserved

If you speak another language, assistance services
free of charge, are available to you.

Baptist Health Facebook Baptist Health Twitter Baptist Health on LinkedIn Baptist Health on Instagram Baptist Health on Youtube
Physician Login | Application Login | Employee Login
Quality Measures | Privacy | Non-Discrimination | Comments | Site Map