Knee injuries - collateral ligaments

Reviewed by Mr Dai Rees, consultant orthopaedic surgeon

How does the doctor diagnose ligament injuries?
The doctor will check if your knee is swollen. The extent and speed of joint swelling may indicate the seriousness of the injury. The doctor will also check for soreness along the collateral ligaments or where they are connected to the bone.

The doctor will then carefully check for lateral looseness by moving the knee gently from side to side, both when the knee is bent and straight. When the knee is completely straight, there should be no looseness whatsoever.

If the injury is acute, the knee may be too sore to examine thoroughly. In this case, the doctor might either apply a local anaesthetic to the knee or put a splint on the knee and re-examine it after 8 to 10 days. As ligaments do not show up on X-rays, an X-ray will only be required to rule out the possibility of any injury to the bone.

How are ligament injuries treated?
In the case of a mild injury, the only treatment required may be wearing a compression bandage to support the knee.

In the case of more serious injuries, the patient may be required to wear a splint on the knee for five to six weeks. The splint will allow the knee to be bent or extended, but braces in the splint will prevent the knee from moving from side to side.

These injuries rarely require surgery.

Physiotherapy to exercise the muscles and work on balance may be necessary.

It is important not to resume strenuous exercise until the knee is no longer sore and it feels completely stable.

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