Conditions

Collateral Ligament Tear

Collateral Ligament Tear

Collateral Ligament Tear

Let Chiropractic Care assist in managing a Collateral Ligament Tear

A ligament is a band of fibrous connective tissue within the body, which connects bone to bone using a crisscross formation. This connection helps to stabilize joints and join them together accordingly. A ligament is a series of durable and tight cords that work to bind bones together, but they aren’t so restrictive that they don’t allow the joint to move. The elastic fibers in ligaments help the joint to move as much as is needed, but not so much that it becomes detached or moves more than it is able to.

Collateral Ligament Tear Collateral Ligament Tear Collateral Ligament Tear

For example, the ligaments around the knee joint allow it to move in the correct way in all directions, rather than too far in any direction, which is why you can only bend your knee a certain way.

However, a ligament can be pushed to breaking point, overstretched and torn, which results in a sprain that can happen quite suddenly. This can occur through an accident such as a fall, incorrect movement or a blow. This is why ligament injuries can easily be sustained through auto accidents.

Treating a Collateral Ligament Tear injury and managing the pain

At Icon Medical, we can assist in treating ligament injuries such as Collateral Ligament Tears, and our medical staff can best advise you on the quick road to recovery and aftercare treatment. If you believe you have sustained a ligament injury or are in severe pain, please contact our chiropractic office to make an appointment and allow us to schedule your examination.

A Collateral Ligament Tear is a very specific ligament injury and concerns the ligaments that form around the knee. These knee ligaments are called the Medial Collateral Ligament and the Lateral Collateral Ligament. They are found on both sides of the knee joint. The knee ligaments are responsible for connecting the thigh bone to the lower leg bones.

The Medial Collateral Ligament connects the femur bone to the tibia. The Lateral Collateral Ligament connects the femur to the fibula. These ligaments are in charge of the sideways movement of your knee and brace the joint against impact or incorrect movement.

Due to the placing of these ligaments, this type of injury tear is very common in sports injuries and in accidents where you may have sustained a blow or had your legs move in the incorrect way, such as an auto accident.

A Collateral Ligament Tear is, therefore, where either the Medial Collateral Ligament or the Lateral Collateral Ligament (or both) around the knee joint has torn.

The following will be an indication that your Collateral Ligaments have either been damaged or torn:

  • Pain in the knee area. This can range from mild, uncomfortable pain to very severe pain, depending on the extent of the injury
  • Stiffness of the knee joint
  • Swelling around the knee joint
  • A high amount of tenderness around the knee, especially along the inside
  • A feeling of losing control of your knee, whether you have the sensation that your knee will give way, or you feel as though it keeps locking or catching when it shouldn’t

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, you more than likely have a torn Collateral Ligament, and you should contact Icon Medical to arrange your examination appointment.

The most common cause of damage or tearing to the Medial Collateral Ligament is a blow from the outer side of the knee joint. Such a blow can cause the ligament to stretch much too far, running the risk of it tearing altogether. Such a blow can be sustained through an automobile crash due to the sudden onslaught of impact.

However, damage can also be caused over time due to repetitive stress on the ligament, meaning that the ligaments lose their overall elasticity and eventually become worn out and loose.

Athletes and individuals partaking in sports can also sustain damage or tears to these ligaments due to the nature of their workout and the repetitive stress on the knee joint.

Tearing of the knee ligaments can be very debilitating, especially when it affects your movement, your ability to walk and your everyday way of life. That’s why it’s important to receive prompt treatment to both eradicate your pain and to get your life back on track. You can call our Icon Medical clinic today to schedule an appointment for the examination and treatment of Collateral Ligament tears and damage.

We are ready to help you restore your knee joint to perfect working order and eliminate your pain as quickly as possible.