Most people have heard of the anterior cruciate ligament, fewer have heard of the lateral collateral ligament or the LCL. Yet it plays an important role in stabilising your knee.
What is your LCL?
Your lateral collateral ligament (LCL) is a band of tissue on the outside of your knee. Your LCL connects your femur to the top of the fibular (the fibula head) and prevents the knee from bowing outwards excessively.
How do LCL injuries happen?
LCL injuries typically happen during sports like soccer, rugby, skiing or netball that involve stop-and-go movements and quick changes of direction. Trauma to the inside of your knee can cause the LCL to overstretch or tear. High energy injuries such as motor vehicle or motorbike and falls from heights can also damage the LCL.
LCL injuries may occur during movements such as:
- Bending
- Twisting
- Jumping
- Weaving
What are the symptoms of an LCL injury?
If you’ve injured your LCL, you may experience symptoms such as:
- A swollen knee
- Pain or tenderness on the outside of your knee
- Instability – you may feel like your knee has locked or, alternatively, like it’s about to give way.
- In more complex injuries it can be part of a multiligament knee injury, or even involve damage to neurovascular structures, in particular the peroneal nerve resulting in foot drop.
How are LCL injuries diagnosed?
Diagnosing an LCL injury usually involves:
- Asking you questions about how the injuries happened and how it feels
- Examining your knee, looking for signs of tenderness, swelling, movement problems and difficulty bearing weight
- Imaging tests such as MRI.
How are LCL injuries treated?
Treatment depends on the severity of the LCL injury.
Grade 1 – Mild LCL injury
Your LCL is sprained rather than torn. Your doctor may recommend
- Physiotherapy
- Crutches
- A hinged knee brace for a few weeks
- Ice and elevation to manage swelling.
Grade 2 – Moderate LCL injury
Your LCL is partially torn. Treatment may be similar to a grade 1 LCL injury but healing can take 8-12 weeks.
Grade 3 – Severe LCL injury
Your LCL is completely torn. A hinged knee brace may help you. Your doctor may recommend knee surgery.
Complex injuries
LCL injuries rarely happen in isolation. They’re usually part of a bigger, more complex picture that may involve injury to your:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
- Posterolateral corner (PLC).
Posterolateral corner injury
Your LCL is part of a section of your knee known as the posterolateral corner (PLC). The PCL involves the ligaments and tendons at the back and outside of your knee, which are arranged in a complex pattern to provide stability to your knee. Its major structures include the:
- LCL
- Popliteus tendon
- Popliteofibular ligament.
Surgery for PCL injuries
A posterolateral corner injury usually occurs through trauma to the knee and is often associated with other knee injuries such as an ACL tear or PCL tear.
These complex, multi-ligament knee injuries may require extensive reconstructive surgery and a lengthy recovery time.
How can I help?
Almost all movement, especially in sports, requires a strong, stable knee. As an orthopaedic surgeon with extended expertise in all aspects of knee surgery, I can assess your LCL injury and advise you on non-surgical and surgical treatment options.
If your LCL injury is part of a larger injury to the posterolateral corner, then surgery may be the recommended treatment route.
No two multi-ligament knee injuries are the same. That’s why I assess each knee injury individually and develop a detailed surgical plan to address your injuries and improve your knee’s stability so you can move with confidence.
Make an appointment today.
*All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Dr Ross Radic can consult with you to determine if a particular treatment or procedure is right for you. A second opinion may help you decide on your options.
References
- Cleveland Clinic, LCL tears, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21710-lcl-tears, [Accessed 30 July 2024]
- Physiopedia, Lateral collateral ligament injury of the knee, https://www.physio-pedia.com/Lateral_Collateral_Ligament_Injury_of_the_Knee, [Accessed 30 July 2024]
