eMedicine Specialties > Sports Medicine > Knee

Lateral Collateral Knee Ligament Injury: Follow-up

Author: Sherwin SW Ho, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Chicago
Coauthor(s): Brad C Erikson, DO, Consulting Staff, Shelley Family Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Oct 2, 2007

Follow-up

Return to Play

The goal of rehabilitation is for the athlete to return to his or her sport as soon as is safely possible. The time frame for return to play is dependent on the severity of the LCL injury and the type of treatment that is rendered. All individuals with LCL injuries are recommended to undergo physical therapy to properly rehabilitate the knee before they resume sporting activities.

After completing the initial recovery of ROM, the athlete needs to regain strength and functional rehabilitation, including proprioception, sport-specific activity, and some type of dynamic running program.

Functional testing (eg, one-legged balance, jumping, running, cutting) should be completed to evaluate the overall condition of the knee. Athletes should be pain free with functional activities and regain full strength and ROM before they return to sports.

Complications

  • Chronic pain
  • Weakness
  • Instability
  • Peroneal nerve injury

Prevention

Most cases of LCL injuries are not preventable. However, maintaining good flexibility and strength in the leg muscles with an adequate quadriceps-hamstring strength ratio may lower one's chances for a knee injury.

Prognosis

With proper treatment and rehabilitation, the prognosis for LCL injuries is good to excellent.

Education

For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Foot, Ankle, Knee, and Hip Center and Sports Injury Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Knee Injury.

 


More on Lateral Collateral Knee Ligament Injury

Overview: Lateral Collateral Knee Ligament Injury
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Lateral Collateral Knee Ligament Injury
Treatment & Medication: Lateral Collateral Knee Ligament Injury
Follow-up: Lateral Collateral Knee Ligament Injury
References
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References

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  2. Snider RK, ed. Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care. Rosemont, Ill: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2000:336-8.

  3. Griffin LY. Acute knee injuries. Sports Medicine. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 1994:2255-60.

  4. Krukhaug Y, Mølster A, Rodt A, Strand T. Lateral ligament injuries of the knee. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 1998;6(1):21-5. [Medline].

  5. Bahk MS, Cosgarea AJ. Physical examination and imaging of the lateral collateral ligament and posterolateral corner of the knee. Sports Med Arthrosc. Mar 2006;14(1):12-9. [Medline].

  6. Beall DP, Googe JD, Moss JT, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging of the collateral ligaments and the anatomic quadrants of the knee. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. Feb 2007;15(1):53-72. [Medline].

  7. Bolog N, Hodler J. MR imaging of the posterolateral corner of the knee. Skeletal Radiol. Aug 2007;36(8):715-28. [Medline].

  8. Coobs BR, LaPrade RF, Griffith CJ, Nelson BJ. Biomechanical analysis of an isolated fibular (lateral) collateral ligament reconstruction using an autogenous semitendinosus graft. Am J Sports Med. Sep 2007;35(9):1521-7. [Medline].

  9. Johnson D. Management of the multi-ligament injured knee. Paper presented at: Biannual Congress of International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine; 1999; Washington, DC.

  10. Majewski M, Susanne H, Klaus S. Epidemiology of athletic knee injuries: A 10-year study. Knee. Jun 2006;13(3):184-8. [Medline].

  11. Medvecky MJ, Zazulak BT, Hewett TE. A multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the multi-ligament injured athlete. Sports Med. 2007;37(2):169-87. [Medline].

  12. Murphy KP, Helgeson MD, Lehman RA Jr. Surgical treatment of acute lateral collateral ligament and posterolateral corner injuries. Sports Med Arthrosc. Mar 2006;14(1):23-7. [Medline].

  13. Noyes FR, Barber-Westin SD. Posterolateral knee reconstruction with an anatomical bone-patellar tendon-bone reconstruction of the fibular collateral ligament. Am J Sports Med. Feb 2007;35(2):259-73. [Medline].

  14. Paletta GA, Warren RF. Knee injuries and Alpine skiing. Treatment and rehabilitation. Sports Med. Jun 1994;17(6):411-23. [Medline].

  15. Ruiz ME, Erickson SJ. Medial and lateral supporting structures of the knee. Normal MR imaging anatomy and pathologic findings. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. Aug 1994;2(3):381-99. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

fibular collateral ligament, LCL injury, posterolateral corner of the knee

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Sherwin SW Ho, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Chicago
Sherwin SW Ho, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Arthroscopy Association of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Brad C Erikson, DO, Consulting Staff, Shelley Family Medical Center
Brad C Erikson, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Leslie Milne, MD, Assistant Clinical Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard University School of Medicine
Leslie Milne, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Sports Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Henry T Goitz, MD, Chief, Sports Medicine, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Ohio
Henry T Goitz, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Jon B Whitehurst, MD, Clinical Instructor of Surgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Partner and Executive Board Member, Rockford Orthopedic Associates; Orthopedic Chairman, Rockford Memorial Hospital
Jon B Whitehurst, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Arthroscopy Association of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Sherwin SW Ho, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Chicago
Sherwin SW Ho, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Arthroscopy Association of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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