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Dr. Harner explains how a medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear is treated.
Dr. Harner:
MCL tear is isolated; that means just the MCL is torn. You can also tear your MCL with your ACL or your PCL. That’s a whole different problem, but isolated MCL tears, basically the treatment there is you brace, you usually need crutches, and you begin physical therapy for range of motion. In the initial 48 to 72 hours, you do a lot of icing, and it usually takes the ligament two to six weeks to heal, depending on how severely it’s torn.
About Dr. Harner, M.D.:
Dr. Christopher D. Harner, M.D., is a Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania Professor, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Medical Director, and works in the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Visit Dr. Harner at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine