Abstract
Injuries to the ligaments of the knee are extremely common among athletes who participate in high-risk sports, or any sport that requires frequent cutting motions, jumping, or contact. In order to determine the best way to heal these injuries, it is important to understand not just the pathology of the injury, but also the biomechanical factors that are affected, including stability and steadiness. While many studies have been done to examine the stability of healthy knees, there is little to no existing literature on stability of knees afflicted by injury. In order to surpass this obstacle, static steadiness and dynamic stability data was collected using the Lockhart Monitor phone application and Xsens accelerometers, respectively, both before and after completion of a course of physical therapy in a patient with a grade 2 medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear. These results were then used to determine the degree to which the prescribed physical therapy protocol was effective in healing the MCL, which can be useful for tweaking the individual protocol for future conservative treatment and management of the injury.
Highlights
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of the most commonly injured structures of the knee, especially by athletes who participate in sports with copious amounts of valgus knee loading [1]
Most people who sustain an injury to the MCL can achieve pre-injury activity levels with nonsurgical treatment; it is not uncommon for other structures to be damaged in addition to the MCL as a result of traumatic injury to the knee
If the injury is isolated to the MCL, the most common forms of conservative treatment include stabilization and rehabilitation, and if instability persists, surgical reconstruction may be required [2]
Summary
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of the most commonly injured structures of the knee, especially by athletes who participate in sports with copious amounts of valgus knee loading [1].most people who sustain an injury to the MCL can achieve pre-injury activity levels with nonsurgical treatment; it is not uncommon for other structures to be damaged in addition to the MCL as a result of traumatic injury to the knee. The four most commonly known ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The ACL and PCL cross from the back of the knee to the front, and vice versa; the MCL and LCL stabilize the knee on both of its sides. In addition to these stabilizing ligaments, there are two cartilaginous structures that act as shock absorbers for axial stresses between the femur and tibia: the medial and lateral menisci [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
