MCL Tear Repair Orthopedic Surgery
At our Upper East Side, NYC practice, our orthopedic specialists carefully evaluate the cause of your knee problem as it relates to MCL repair and then provide comprehensive care, which may include MCL repair surgery, to relieve your pain and restore your knee stability and motion. Diagnosis of a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury usually is confirmed based on a complete medical history and physical examination. Other diagnostic tests may be completed to rule out other possible knee injuries or conditions such as x-rays, or an MRI. The great majority of MCL injuries are successfully treated non-operatively by our orthopedic surgeons.
We provide highly specialized, expert and up-to-date services to both our patients and our referring doctors.
Please note: A doctor’s referral is NOT necessary from a General Practitioner to see our sports medicine or orthopedic surgery specialists for a consultation, 2nd opinion, or for treatment at our orthopedic practice – including surgery.
We offer full out of network insurance benefits (we will contact your insurance company and submit for you). You will enjoy the luxury and benefit of academic medicine in a top rated concierge environment without the hassle of long hospital waiting room times and paperwork. Most policies reimburse patients for most of the cost of surgery. Our surgical coordinator will help you with a quote.
Early treatment of MCL injuries involves rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, rehabilitation exercises and/or the use of a brace. More severe tears may require the use of crutches for several weeks until the pain subsides, followed by range-of-motion exercises. Surgery may be required depending on the result of your injury.
The most common knee ligament injury is an injury to the medial aspect of the knee. There are three main anatomic structures on the medial side of the knee, with the medial collateral ligament (MCL) being the largest and strongest. A significant amount of isolated MCL medial knee injuries are due to sports injuries. They can be either a contact or non-contact stress to the outside of their knee, which in turn stretches or tears the medial knee structures on the inside of the knee.
The medical collateral ligament (MCL) is one of four ligaments that are essential to the stability of the knee joint. Located on the inside of the knee joint, the MCL spans from the lower tip of the thigh bone (femur) to the top of the shin bone (tibia). The MCL prevents over-widening of the inside of the knee joint.
Causes of an MCL Injury
- Most MCL injuries result from a direct blow to the outside of the knee (as in “clipping” in football), which causes the outside of the joint to buckle and the inside to widen. This causes the MCL to over-stretch, which can result in injury or tearing. Other ligaments, including the ACL or the meniscus, are sometimes torn at the same time as the MCL.
Symptoms of an MCL Injury
- Pain, swelling and bruising directly over the ligament
- Instability or buckling of the knee joint
Options available for medial collateral (MCL) repair and reconstruction include the following:
- Distal advancement
- Proximal advancement
- Direct repair
- Augmentation
- Medial imbrication
Large MCL tears may require surgery and physical therapy. Knee ligament repair is a treatment for a complete tear of a knee ligament that results in instability in the knee. Our best in class NYC orthopedic surgeons combine arthroscopic MCL surgery with aggressive rehabilitation to get you back to your life as quickly as possible.
If you are an out of town patient seeking our orthopedic surgeon’s best in class sports medicine diagnostic and surgery services, please review the following link for travel information to our New York practice: Out of town travel information.
Our orthopedic surgeons pride ourselves with providing you highly personalized and comprehensive orthopedic care before,during, and after your MCL Repair orthopedic surgery. Our philosophy of direct physician-to-patient care at every visit has made us one of the most trusted and respected orthopedic surgery practices in NYC. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation.
