| The medial collateral ligament of the knee is relatively | | | | the knee and a knee brace can be useful to stop this |
| frequently injured in vigorous activities and sports such | | | | occurring. The knee should be rested for a few days |
| as the football we are all watching in the World Cup. A | | | | with regular practice of maintenance knee exercises. |
| collateral ligament injury can be minor or be very | | | | Ice or cold therapy and compression are important |
| severe and require medical management, but most | | | | techniques to manage and ease acute knee pain and |
| injuries just need proper treatment to resolve over | | | | knee swelling, with the compression applied as soon as |
| several weeks. The medial knee ligament is a wide | | | | possible by a bandage and the knee kept firmly |
| strap of ligamentous tissue which runs down the inside | | | | strapped for several days whilst watching the leg |
| of the knee joint and holds the femur and tibia together | | | | circulation is OK Physiotherapy knee exercises will |
| on that side. This knee ligament prevents the knee | | | | include quadriceps contractions to keep the major |
| being forced into the knock knee posture unless the | | | | muscle working and the knee may be splinted or kept |
| forces are high, such as in a tackle, when the ligament | | | | in around 30 degrees of bend where all the structures |
| might suffer a tear or a rupture. | | | | are most relaxed. |
| Knee ligament injuries are immediately obvious, there is | | | | Once the pain reduces the knee can be bent gently to |
| a sudden and sharp pain over the inside of the knee | | | | the beginnings of pain and the quadriceps exercises |
| during the tackle or fall and you know they have done | | | | progressed to a straight knee position. You should |
| something. Afterwards the injured part throbs and may | | | | have as normal a gait as possible and progress your |
| interfere with normal walking to some degree. If the | | | | knee exercises to using small weights, then going up |
| ligament is ruptured and the knee feels unstable then | | | | small steps, then using larger steps and standing up |
| medical review should be sought. Along with pain there | | | | and sitting down from a chair without arm assistance. |
| may be knee swelling although this usually takes some | | | | Final work included balance and joint position sense |
| hours to come up, being more obvious the next day. | | | | and sport practice before return to normal activity |
| Initial treatment is to prevent further stresses through | | | | once the knee has full range, power and no pain. |