Evaluation and Treatment of Chronic Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Knee Frederick M
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REVIEW ARTICLE Evaluation and Treatment of Chronic Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Knee Frederick M. Azar, MD sartorius and sartorial fascia. This layer extends poster- Abstract: Injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) can iorly to cover the 2 heads of the gastrocnemius and the occur as isolated injuries or in conjunction with injuries to other neurovascular structures of the popliteal fossa. Ante- structures about the knee. Most grade I and II MCL injuries riorly, it blends with layer 2, which consists of the without meniscal avulsion, alone or in combination with superficial MCL, the posterior oblique ligament (POL), anterior or posterior cruciate ligament injuries, can be treated and the semimembranosus. The tendons of the gracilis nonoperatively. Grade III or complete tears also can be treated and semitendinosus are located in the plane between nonoperatively, but only after careful exclusion of any layers 1 and 2. Layer 3 consists of the deep MCL and associated injuries that may require surgical treatment. Treat- posteromedial capsule, and it merges with layer 2 at the ment recommendations also have been based on the location of posteromedial aspect of the knee. the MCL tear and the associated injuries. Surgical treatment Sims and Jacobson3 described the medial-sided may include reconstruction of the anterior and posterior structures of the knee as divided roughly into thirds cruciate ligaments with primary repair of the MCL. Chronic (Fig. 1). The anterior third includes the loose, thin medial knee injuries often are associated with concomitant capsular ligaments covered superficially by the extensor ligament injuries, which also must be treated. Treatment options retinaculum of the quadriceps mechanism. The middle include nonoperative (bracing, activity modification, and third includes the deep medial capsular ligament and the rehabilitation) and operative reconstruction. superifical medial collateral ligament. The posterior third, 4 Key Words: knee, ligament, medial, injury, treatment the posteromedial corner or semimembranosus corner, includes the POL, the semimembranosus expansions, the (Sports Med Arthrosc Rev 2006;14:84–90) oblique popliteal ligament, and the posteromedial horn of the medial meniscus. nee ligament injuries account for a large percentage of MEDIAL-SIDE BIOMECHANICS Ksports injuries, and the medial collateral ligament Multiple studies have demonstrated that the MCL is (MCL) is one of the most frequently injured ligaments of the primary medial stabilizer of the knee in resisting the knee, exceeded perhaps only by the anterior cruciate valgus loading and the secondary stabilizer against ligament (ACL). Most injuries to the medial supporting excessive external tibial rotation.4–6 The femoral attach- structures of the knee occur as a result of a blow to the ment of the MCL is arranged so that this structure lateral side of the thigh or upper leg, such as occurs in a maintains relatively constant tension throughout knee football tackle from the side. Valgus forces also can be range of motion.7 In contrast to the parallel fibers of the applied to the knee when the tibia is externally rotated MCL, the POL functions to resist valgus stress mainly and the femur is fixed; this mechanism is common in snow when the knee is in full extension. When the knee is skiing. The medial ligaments can be injured by ‘‘cutting’’ flexed, the POL becomes slack and its anterior most maneuvers when an athlete plants his or her foot and aspect actually lies beneath the posterior portion of the 1 forcefully shifts direction off the weight-bearing foot. MCL. The 2 structures are separated by a bursa that These valgus forces usually tear the medial capsular allows anteroposterior excursion during flexion and ligament first, then the MCL, and then the anterior extension of the knee. Consideration of this relationship 1 cruciate ligament. is important in primary repair of the MCL, because suturing of the anterior POL to the posterior MCL with ANATOMY the knee in more than 30 degrees of flexion can result in a 2 postoperative flexion contracture. In 1979, Warren and Marshall dissected 154 fresh 3 4 knees and described a 3-layer anatomic concept (Table 1). Sims and Jacobson, along with Mu¨ller, stressed On the medial side of the knee, layer 1 consists of the the importance of the posteromedial corner of the knee (posterior horn of the medial meniscus, the POL, the semimembranosus expansions, the meniscotibial From the Campbell Clinic, Memphis, TN. Reprints: Frederick M. Azar, Campbell Clinic, 1211 Union Avenue, ligaments, and the oblique popliteal ligament) as a Suite 510, Memphis, TN 38104 (e-mail: [email protected]). static and dynamic restraint to anteromedial rotatory Copyright r 2006 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins instability. 84 Sports Med Arthrosc Rev Volume 14, Number 2, June 2006 Sports Med Arthrosc Rev Volume 14, Number 2, June 2006 Ligament Injuries of the Knee TABLE 1. Anatomy of the Medial Side of the Knee TABLE 2. Grading of Ligament Injury Severity Layer 1 Sartorius, sartorial fascia Amount of Opening Layer 2 Superficial MCL Grade (mm) Associated Tear Posterior oblique ligament I 0–5 Minimal Semimembranosus II 5–10 Moderate Layer 3 Deep MCL III >10 Complete Posteromedial capsule Layers 1 and 2 Blend anteriorly Layers 2 and 3 Blend posteriorly Semitendinosus and gracilis Lie between layers 1 and 2 than MCL injury. Complaints of knee instability are tendons more frequent with ACL injuries than with MCL injuries. The severity of injuries to the medial side of the knee is graded according by the amount of joint opening when Gardiner et al8 demonstrated that various regions of the valgus stress is applied to the knee at 0 and 30 degrees of MCL experience differing amounts of strain with regard flexion.1 Opening of 0 to 5 mm indicates a grade I to knee flexion angle and valgus torque. Strain in the (minimal) tear, 6 to 10 mm a grade II (moderate) tear, and posterior and central portions of the MCL generally more than 10 mm a grade III (complete) tear (Table 2). decreases with increasing flexion angle, whereas strain in The amount of laxity in each position of flexion is the anterior fibers remains relatively constant throughout indicative of the number of medial structures injured. knee range of motion. The greatest amount of strain in Valgus laxity at 30 degrees of flexion but not at 0 degree the MCL occurs at the femoral origin of the posterior indicates an isolated MCL injury, whereas valgus laxity at fibers at full knee extension. These findings support the both 30 and 0 degrees indicates injury to the MCL and clinical finding that the femoral insertion is the most POL, and likely to the cruciate ligaments. If the knee is common location for MCL injuries. stable to valgus stress in full extension, the POL is likely intact. Because ACL tears occur with up to 78% of grade III MCL tears,3 provocative testing for these injuries also EVALUATION should be done (Lachman, anterior drawer, and posterior Patients with medial-side knee injuries have varying drawer). degrees of swelling, pain, and loss of motion. Damage to A standard radiographic knee series (45-degree the MCL normally causes well-localized pain in the flexion weight-bearing, lateral, and sunrise views) can medial knee with local soft-tissue swelling. Tenderness to identify avulsions or osteochondral fragments that might palpation and localized swelling over the MCL accurately affect treatment decisions. In adolescents, valgus stress indicates location of the injury in about two-thirds of views can be useful to evaluate for physeal injury, but in 1 patients. Midsubstance tears may be associated with skeletally mature individuals they are of little benefit. joint-line tenderness, making it difficulty to differeniate Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can identify the MCL injury from meniscal injury, especially because they presence of meniscal tears, the location of the MCL tear, may coexist. Vaguely localized pain or a large knee and any other concomitant injuries (Fig. 2).9 effusion is more indicative of ACL or meniscal injury TREATMENT The MCL is an extracapsular structure and has demonstrated an ability to heal with little to no residual valgus laxity when the torn ligamentous ends are closely apposed.10–21 Therefore, grade I and II MCL injuries without meniscal avulsion, alone or in combina- tion with ACL/posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries, can be treated nonoperatively. Pain and edema control, minimally restrictive protective bracing, and immediate range of motion exercises are instituted, and, in the case of multiple ligament injuries, the ACL and PCL are reconstructed after the MCL injury has had adequate time to heal (4 to 8 wk) (Table 3).22,23 The treatment of grade III MCL tears with associated ACL/PCL injuries remains controversial. FIGURE 1. Anterior, middle, and posterior capsuloligamen- Grade III or complete tears also can be treated tous divisions described by Sims and Jacobsen. (From Sims W, nonoperatively, but only after careful exclusion of any Jacobson K. The posteromedial corner of the knee. Medial- associated injuries that may require surgical treat- 15,24–26 sided injury patterns revisited. Am J Sports Med. 2004; ment, such as cruciate ligament injury, meniscal 32:337–345.) tear requiring repair, or entrapment of the MCL.4 When r 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 85 Azar Sports Med Arthrosc Rev Volume 14, Number 2, June 2006 predilection to heal with excessive valgus instability.29 Occasionally, distal avulsions result in a Stener type lesion with the torn MCL flipped over the insertion of the pes anserinus and unable to heal.30 Physical examination and MRI (Fig. 2) are beneficial in determining the location of the MCL injury.1,9 A final consideration is the chronically ACL/PCL/MCL-injured knee in which all structures must be reconstructed. Groff and Harner24 described an algorithm for the treatment of medial-side knee injuries based on the associated injuries (Fig.