LCL or lateral collateral ligament tear is less common than other ligament injuries, including ACL, MCL, etc.
The lateral collateral ligament is a thin tissue band that runs outside the knee. The lateral collateral ligament connects the thigh bone to the ankle, also known as the femur, to the ankle. Further, it also plays a vital role in the function of the knee, like the medial collateral ligament.
LCL tear is a tear that causes a lot of pain and other physical symptoms that you will learn in this article later. Do you want to know more about lateral collateral ligament tears? Then stay with the article as you will get all the information about LCL tears in this article.
What is an LCL tear?
LCL tear is an injury that causes pain, swelling, and bruises. LCL or lateral collateral ligament tear commonly happens while playing a game, including jumping, twisting, weaving, hard contact, quick change of direction, etc. Therefore, athletes and sportspeople have high risks of lateral collateral ligament. However, it can heal with proper treatment, rehabilitation, and time.
This is the basic information about lateral collateral ligament tears. However, suppose you want to know about the symptoms and treatment of LCL tears. In that case, the following two sections of this article will help you understand the symptoms and treatment of the lateral collateral ligament tear.
Symptoms of LCL tear
Pain and swelling are common symptoms of various injuries; it is hard to decide these two symptoms that a person is suffering from a lateral collateral ligament tear. The following are some more symptoms of LCL tear-
- The knee can be stuffy, sore, and tender.
- You may feel your knee is giving out while standing or walking
- Your foot may be numb
- Lock in the knee
- Affect your normal range of motion
So, now you have learned about the symptoms of LCL tears. You will get the details of the treatment in the following section.
Treatment of LCL tear
The treatment of lateral collateral ligament tear depends on the severity of the tear. If you have a partial or minor tear in your lateral collateral ligament, then you can follow the following tips to cure it-
- Put ice on your knee.
- Wrap your knee with an elastic bandage
- Elevate your knee
- Take drugs prescribed by your doctor
If the tear is more serious, you have to do physical therapy or exercise to cure the LCL tear. You can consult a physical therapist to learn exercises to help heal ACL tears. Athletes can also choose the option of surgery to get instant relief. After all, there are lots of ways on how to reduce post surgery swelling.
If your LCL is wholly torn, your doctor will inject platelet-rich plasma into the affected area to speed up healing. There is some clinical evidence for it.
Conclusion
The treatment of lateral collateral ligament tears depends on the severity of the tear. The recovery time of the LCL tear also depends on the severity of the tear. It can take three weeks to twelve weeks to recover.
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