Active young people and athletes often suffer from damage to the collateral ligaments of the knee joints. This happens if a person carries out too strong and frequent movements. For example, during extension, twisting of the legs or abduction of the legs, there is quite a lot of pressure on the joint. In some cases, injuries become the cause of such damage.
basic information
First of all, it is worth saying that there are two groups of these important parts of the human body:
- Lateral collateral ligament. It is also often called external or external. This ligament is responsible for the connection of the thigh and tibia.
- Medial collateral ligament. It is an organ located inside. This ligament is necessary in order to connect the femur with the tibia. By and large, this part of the body is a limiter that does not allow hallux valgus abnormalities.
A problem can occur in any of them. However, in order to conduct the correct treatment, the doctor must clarify the exact location of the damage, as well as the factor that led to it.
Causes of occurrence
First of all, it is worth saying that damage to the medial collateral ligament of the knee joint can be of varying severity. In some situations, everything is limited to a single tear of the fibers. However, in more complex cases, unfortunately, complete rupture of tendon tissue occurs.
Damage to the collateral ligament often occurs against the background of excessive tibia displacement to the outside or due to excessive rotations that occur due to strokes. Ultimately, a person runs the risk of getting a sprain, tear, or complete rupture of the ligament. If we talk about provoking factors, then, as a rule, this happens due to:
- Sharp load.
- Injury
- Enthesopathies.
- Arthritis of a rheumatoid, juvenile or infectious type.
- Gout.
- Psoriasis
- Degenerative processes in the joints.
Symptoms of damage to the lateral or medial collateral ligament of the knee joint
If even minor unpleasant or painful sensations appear, it is recommended to consult a specialist. If we are talking about the injury of two lateral ligaments at once, then in this case an impressive hematoma will be clearly visible on the affected limb.
In case of damage to the medial ligament, its partial tear or complete rupture occurs. A person begins to experience pronounced pain in the limb and ceases to load it. If the external ligament (lateral) is damaged, hemorrhage may occur or hemarthrosis will form. At the same time, a person will also easily notice the appearance of a hematoma in the affected area. Additionally, quite severe swelling and hyperemia may occur.
If you try to feel the knee, in which damage to the collateral ligament occurred, then you can easily notice that the skin in this area has a higher temperature. This indicates an inflammatory process.
Additional symptoms include:
- Sharp pain attacks in the lateral region of the joint.
- Marked swelling of the knee.
- Clicks during flexion and extension of the limb.
- Violations of the functions of the knee joint.
Types of defeat
If we talk about the types of damage to the collateral ligament of the knee joint, then experts distinguish three degrees. It is worth considering them in more detail:
- 1 degree. In this case, only a partial break occurs. This means that only some ligament fibers are torn. This type of damage is more commonly called sprains. However, the use of such a term is completely incorrect. Since the ligaments do not differ in elasticity, respectively, they are simply physically unable to stretch.
- 2 degree. In this case, incomplete rupture (or tearing) of the ligaments occurs.
- 3 degree. This stage is considered the most difficult, since in this case a person suffers from a complete rupture of collateral ligaments. As a rule, in such a situation, damage to cartilage, meniscus or capsule is also observed.
After receiving an injury, it is necessary to determine its exact location and degree. Only after this, you can proceed to therapeutic procedures.
Diagnostics
To confirm or refute the rupture of the collateral ligament, you need to contact an orthopedic trauma surgeon. Immediately it is worth saying that with severe damage, the x-ray image will not show any clear results. This is because the bone tissue is much denser than the tissue of the ligaments, so the specialist will not see anything in the resulting image. In this case, the doctor can pay attention only to a slight expansion of the articular cavities, which often occurs with a destructive change.
In addition, standard diagnostic measures are significantly complicated due to the rupture of the cruciform structure. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to more modern research methods.
As a rule, it is possible to identify problems in the collateral ligament using ultrasound, MRI and arthroscopy. Based on the data received, the specialist will be able to prescribe the necessary therapy.
Treatment features
If only the medial ligament located in the knee joint is damaged, then in this case it is often possible to limit itself to conservative treatment. However, after it is necessary to undergo a second examination. If, according to its results, the doctor understands that incomplete healing of the ligament has occurred or that the patient has insecurity when loading on the leg while walking or playing sports, then this indicates that the patient did not adhere to the necessary recommendations or more aggressive measures are required in this situation.
The second method of treating a damaged ligament is surgery. As a rule, the same is necessary if, in addition to damage to the internal tissue, additional problems with the knee joint are observed. The specialist also takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient, his age, professional activity and other important factors.
When deciding how to restore the affected limb, it is recommended to contact competent specialists. If possible, it is worth listening to the opinion of several doctors at once. The correctness of treatment tactics directly depends on how quickly the patient can recover and return to normal life.
Usually, if there has been simultaneous damage to the medial and cruciate ligament, then in this case, healing of the internal tissue is first required. After which the patient must undergo a course of physiotherapy to develop a joint. Only after this can a surgical procedure be performed aimed at the cruciate ligament. Otherwise, the amplitude of limb movements may be impaired.
Conservative treatment
In this case, the so-called immobilization of the knee joint is performed. In this case, the patient can bend and unbend the limb. Additionally, you will need to use elastic bandages or use special compression knitwear. If the patient has suffered rather severely and is experiencing a noticeable pain syndrome, then in such a situation, perhaps, he will be additionally prescribed medication. This may be necessary if the doctor is afraid of blood clots in the affected area.
Throughout the course of treatment, the patient should periodically visit a doctor. The specialist will be able to determine whether healing is proceeding properly and whether there is a risk of venous thrombosis. With the right approach, a sore leg heals in 3-4 weeks. However, it all depends on numerous damage factors.
After the termination of immobilization, it is not recommended to immediately begin active movements. At first, it is worth using special stabilizing knee pads. These elastic products will help protect the affected leg from repeated damage.
Autograft Surgery
If the patient was diagnosed with grade 3 damage, then in this case, experts recommend an operation in which the patient’s own tissues will be used. In such a situation, it is possible to better repeat the anatomy of the internal ligaments. Such an autograft is installed in such a way as to connect the femur and tibia. This greatly increases the chances that the knee joint will begin to work again as before.
This means that after the recovery period, the patient will be able not only to perform all daily activities, but also return to sports or exert other loads on the limb.
Arthroscopic resection
A similar operation is performed if the gap occurred not only in the medial ligament, but also in the meniscus. In this situation, removal or stitching of the damaged parts is carried out. After such a procedure, immobilization for up to one month will be required. In this case, the procedure will be less traumatic, but the recovery process will be longer.
However, after such a procedure, a person will also be able to do what he loves. No physical restrictions are provided for in this case. However, such an outcome is possible only when the victim turned to a qualified specialist in a timely manner, and did not wait until the inflammatory process spreads to nearby tissues.
First aid
If the knee is damaged, it is first necessary to take into account that such an injury can be very dangerous, therefore it is required to immediately seek help from a specialist. At first glance, a person is not able to independently determine whether he had a gap, tear or so-called stretching. Therefore, all ongoing activities should be extremely careful.
After calling an ambulance, you need to fix the limb so that it does not move. To reduce the formation of a hematoma and reduce pain, something cold can be applied to the sore knee.
Take painkillers before doctors arrive is not worth it. Perhaps the victim will need an injection of an additional drug, which may be incompatible with the already used remedy.
Prevention
To prevent damage to not only the knee, but also the ulnar collateral ligament, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations of specialists. First of all, it is important not to exceed the load during training. Exercises cannot be started without first warming up the joints.
If a person still had to go through the operation, then after that some time you will need to wear special orthopedic shoes. If we are talking about an elderly person, then be sure to use a cane. The limbs, and especially the joints, cannot be supercooled, so you need to be extremely careful in the cold season.
Do not self-medicate, so you can only do even more harm to yourself.