How do you treat a Grade ll MCL Injury?

Answer 1

Todd K's info is something like 30 years out-of-date. For God's sake, don't have someone splint you in extension for a long period of time!

Get to the physical therapist, and have them craft a rehab program for you. They will do some techniques to help with pain and soreness, and coach you in safe strengthening.

Go to APTA.org, click on "Find a PT", and search your home area. You may want to see someone who is board-certified in either orthopedic or sports PT (OCS or SCS after their name).

Answer 2

First 72 after the injury:

R- Rest
I- Ice (20 minutes on 20 minutes off)
C- Compression (wrap the knee with an ACE bandage)
E- Elevation (keep your leg propped up; stay off of it as much as possible)

After the first 72 hours:

Take Alleve 400mg twice daily with food for 2 weeks (if you can tolerate asprin type medications)

Get your knee in an immobilizer and use crutches to get around. You will need to keep your knee immobilized for about 6 weeks in full extension. This keeps the ligament in the best possible healing position. After the 6 weeks, you will need to get into physical therapy for a few weeks to get back your range of motion and muscle strength.

Jason W;

Back to the books for you. The MCL MUST be immobilized in extension with regards to a G-2 MCL sprain. Beginning flexion rehab before the ligament has had an opportunity to lay down scar tissue and heal will cause the ligament to heal with a tremendous amount of laxity. If he MUST flex the knee; no more than 30 degrees is indicated. It is ok to begin doing strengthening exercise (quadsets, TKE, etc) to help prevent quadriceps atrophy. I feel you might have been thinking about rehabbing a G-1 MCL; where progressive flexion therapy is not contraindicated due to only microtears of ligament tissue.