Question 1

is a mcl tear heal able on its own?

Accepted Answer

Mcl tear: Grade 1 and some grade 2 tears may heal with conservative treatment.Like brace, rest, over the couter or prescription pain meds such as ibuprifen, Naproxen and physical therapy.Rarely you need arthroscopic surgery.

Question 2

can you walk normally with an mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

No: Typically you will limp becasue your knee hurts, but if you are careful you can mask your limp and walk nearly normally.

Question 3

what are the long term effects of an mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

Little: Assuming the tear is minor and treated appropriately there should be little to no long term effects.

Question 4

how common is it to need to have surgery for a mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

Very uncommon: The mcl (medial collateral ligament) tears outside of the knee joint. Because of this, the torn fibers are close enough to each other that they almost always heal and scar down own their own. In rare cases where there is persistent instability (looseness), we can repair or reconstruct the mcl.

Question 5

difference between acl and mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

ACL MCL: Acl is the anterior cruciate ligament, mcl is the medial collateral ligament. The acl is intraarticular ( inside the joint) while the mcl is a large broad extra articular ligament. This allows the mcl to heal on its own whereas the acl does not. Tear of the acl is the most common cause of knee instability. They usually require surgery / reconstruction if the patient experiences knee giving way.

Question 6

doc says i have a type 3 mcl tear. what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Complete tear: Grade 1 is a mild sprain. Grade 2 is a partial tear, and grade 3 represrents a complete tear with demosntrable instability on exam. Bracing and physical therapy usually work with adequate soft tissue rest (ice , elevation, and limited activity) to allow swollen knee to calm down.

Question 7

are there different symtoms in a acl tear and a mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

Effusion (swelling): An acl tear can often include an mcl tear that occurs at the same time. An acl tear generally causes bleeding in the knee joint caused by tearing the blood vessels around the acl. This causes a very fast swelling of the knee joint (usually without the hour). An isolated mcl tear usually does not swell inside the knee and causes pain on the inner portion of the knee, where the mcl tore.

Question 8

how do the symptoms of an acl tear differ from an mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

Sometime not much: It sometimes can be difficult to distiguish the two from symptoms patients experience alone.  That is why a good physical exam is key to making the diagnosis.

Question 9

what are the differences in symptoms in an acl tear and a mcl tear?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Both are stabilizing ligaments in the knee.  The ACL (anterior criciate ligament) prevents the tibia (shin bone) from sliding forward from under the femur (thigh bone).  The MCL (medial collateral ligament) prevents the knee from going into a medial or valgus ("knock-knee') postion.  They can occur alone or in combination with each other.

Question 10

after mcl surgery, my mcl is healing, after a week if i put weight on it will the mcl tear again or will it only damage it?

Accepted Answer

Both can occur. Talk: To your surgeon. He should be the only one to tell you, whether to take any weight on it or not, as it would be dependent on the quality of the repair and the tissue.
So talk to him and heed his advise.

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Doctor answers about:

Mcl tear

A member asked:

Is a mcl tear heal able on its own?

A member asked:

Can you walk normally with an mcl tear?

A member asked:

What are the long term effects of an mcl tear?

A member asked:

How common is it to need to have surgery for a mcl tear?

A member asked:

Difference between acl and mcl tear?

A member asked:

Doc says i have a type 3 mcl tear. what does this mean?

A member asked:

Are there different symtoms in a acl tear and a mcl tear?

A member asked:

How do the symptoms of an acl tear differ from an mcl tear?

A member asked:

What are the differences in symptoms in an acl tear and a mcl tear?

A member asked:

After mcl surgery, my mcl is healing, after a week if i put weight on it will the mcl tear again or will it only damage it?

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