Knee Care

The orthopedic surgeons at Great Lakes Orthopedics & Sports
Medicine, P. C. can evaluate your knee condition and provide the customized treatment plan to get you back to enjoying life!!

Lateral Collateral Ligament

Knee Specialists In The Greater St. John, Crown Point and Lowell, Areas

The orthopedic surgeons at Great Lakes Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, P. C. treat knee conditions and injuries at their 3 convenient offices in St. John, Crown Point and Lowell, Indiana.  Our orthopedic physicians are specially-trained in treating knee conditions and injuries.  As leaders in orthopedic care, we provide minimally invasive and innovative treatment options, as well as utilizing state-of-the art technologies, to create unique and individualized care plan designed to get you back on your road to recovery and regaining an active lifestyle!!

FAQs on Lateral Collateral Ligament

Lateral Collateral Ligament

The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) is one of the four knee ligaments. It spans the distance from the end of the femur (thigh bone) to the top of the fibula (thin, outer, lower leg bone) and is on the outside of the knee.

The lateral collateral ligament resists widening of the outside of the joint. A lateral collateral ligament injury happens from a direct force from the side of the knee, causing moderate to severe knee pain and ligament injury which often leads to knee surgery.

Cause & Symptoms

Symptoms

Symptoms of a tear in the lateral collateral ligament are:

  • Knee swelling

  • Locking or catching of the knee with movement

  • Pain or tenderness along the outside of the knee

  • Knee gives way, or feels like it is going to give way, when it is active or stressed in a certain way

Diagnosis

Patients with a lateral collateral ligament injury will have lateral knee pain and a sense of giving way.  An examination by a sports medicine specialist will note laxity in the lateral ligament with stress. If you have suffered a ligament injury and are now experiencing knee pain, or instability, evaluation by an orthopedic specialist can make a diagnosis and recommend treatment options to heal your injury.

Treatment Options

Nonsurgical TreatmentIce. Icing your injury is important in the healing process. The proper way to ice an injury is to use crushed ice directly to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, with at least 1 hour between icing sessions. Chemical cold products (“blue” ice) should not be placed directly on the skin and are not as effective.Bracing. Your knee must be protected from the same sideways force that caused the injury. You may need to change your daily activities to avoid risky movements. Your doctor may recommend a brace to protect the injured ligament from stress. To further protect your knee, you may be given crutches to keep you from putting weight on your leg.Physical therapy. Your doctor may suggest strengthening exercises. Specific exercises will restore function to your knee and strengthen the leg muscles that support it.Surgical TreatmentSome isolated collateral ligament injuries can be successfully treated without surgery. If the collateral ligament is torn in such a way that it cannot heal or is associated with other ligament injuries, your doctor may suggest surgery to repair it.