**MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) Tear **

Introduction An MCL tear occurs when the medial collateral ligament, located on the inner side of your knee, gets damaged. An MCL tear might involve a partial tear where some fibers are torn or a complete tear where the ligament separates into two pieces. People of any age can suffer an MCL tear. Athletes participating in high-impact sports such as football, basketball, and rugby frequently experience this type of injury. Our knees consist of bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. The medial collateral ligament, or MCL, sits on the inner side of the knee and measures about eight to ten centimeters. It links the thigh bone, called the femur, to the shin bone, known as the tibia. The MCL not only links bones together but also keeps your knees in a stable position. It’s one of the four major ligaments keeping your knee in check. The MCL gets its name because it sits on the inside of your knee, closer to the middle line of the body, and runs along the side of the knee joint.

What are the different grades of MCL Tear? Grade 1: Mild tear

• Only a few fibres of the ligament are torn
• Knee is stable
• You might experience mild pain or soreness Grade 2: Moderate tear
• Partial ligament tear
• Your knee feels loose when you move it by hand
• You might experience intense pain on the inner side of your knee Grade 3: Severe tear
• Complete ligament tear
• Your knee will be very unstable and loose.
• You might experience intense pain and soreness.

What are the signs of an MCL Tear? The severity of your tear can change the symptoms you might have. When the MCL (medial collateral ligament) tears, you could notice these symptoms:

• Noticing a popping noise when the injury happens.
• Feeling pain or soreness along the inside part of your knee.
• Swelling or stiffness in the knee.
• Feeling that your knee might give way when supporting weight.
• A sensation of the kneejoint catching or stiffing during movements

What are the causes of an MCL Tear? Quick and sharp movements like turning, twisting, or "cutting" may lead to MCL tears. Taking a hit to the outer side of the knee can also result in this injury. People involved in sports such as football, skiing, basketball, or volleyball often experience MCL tears. Here are some ways MCL tears might happen:

• Pivoting by planting one foot and changing direction. In sports, this move is often called "cutting."
• Getting hit on the outer side of your knee, like during a football tackle.
• Lifting heavy items or squatting down low.
• Landing on your knee after jumping.
• Overstretching your knee, also called hyperextending, often happens in skiing.
• Putting stress on your knee leads to your MCL becoming less flexible, similar to how a rubber band wears out over time.

How to Diagnose an MCL Tear? Your orthopaedician might recommend some of these tests to diagnose an MCL tear:

• Physical exam: The doctor checks your knee to find out if pressing on the inside causes pain. They also test the MCL by applying pressure to see if it feels loose, which can mean a tear.
• MRI
• Ultrasound
• X-ray

What is the treatment of an MCL Tear? Non-surgical methods help most people recover from an MCL tear. The MCL heals well because it has a strong blood supply that helps repair the damage. Treatment options without surgery to heal an MCL tear may include:

• RICE method: Rest your knee, apply ice to it, wrap it with an elastic bandage for compression, and keep it raised while resting. This method can lower swelling and manage pain.
• Using pain medicine
• Putting on a knee brace
• Using crutches
• Physical therapy exercises If you need surgery to fix your MCL tear, the surgeon might reattach the torn section of your MCL or rebuild it using a graft. This graft can come from tissue in your body, like your hamstring tendons, or from a donor.