Does a Knee Ligament Injury Always Need Surgery?
Everyone knows about the ACL. But your knee has three other ligaments that are commonly injured, and knowing which one you've sprained changes everything about your treatment.
Does every knee ligament injury need surgery?
This is one of the most common misconceptions I hear. That any knee ligament injury, especially a rupture, means surgery.
I think that comes from the ACL. It gets most of the attention in the media, and a full ACL rupture often does lead to surgery.
But you have three other main ligaments in your knee:
It's pretty rare that these need surgery. Recently we've even seen professional players injure their PCL and play out the rest of the game.
How do you injure your MCL?
The MCL is big and thick, and it's commonly injured when your knee buckles inwards, often in a tackle.
In soccer, one of the most common ways I see it is two players kicking the ball side-foot at the same time in a 50/50 tackle, and one foot gets forced backwards.
The good news is that MCL sprains heal really well, regardless of the grade. A grade 1 (mild) often doesn't need a brace at all. Grades 2 and 3 (moderate and severe) usually go in a hinged knee brace for a period depending on severity. The brace protects the ligament while it heals and stiffens up, with the goal of a full recovery.
And you don't always need an MRI. Our hands-on clinical testing is very accurate for these injuries.
How do you injure your LCL?
The LCL is injured the opposite way, when your knee buckles outwards, again often in a tackle.
It's quite hard to injure the LCL on its own. It's sometimes injured alongside the ACL, as is the MCL. Like the MCL, bracing is really effective, followed by structured physio to rebuild your quad and hamstring strength.
What is a PCL injury?
The most common PCL injury we see is sometimes called "ruckman's knee". It happens when you land on a bent knee and the shin gets pushed backwards. Think of a footballer coming down from a contest with players on top of them, landing knee-first.
There's a specific brace that improves the stability of the PCL while it heals, and the PCL does heal pretty well on its own.
The stronger your quads, the better off your knee will be, so building big, strong quads is a major part of PCL rehab.
Do I need to see a GP first for a knee injury?
No. You can come directly to us, no referral needed.
Our assessment is very accurate at diagnosing ligament injuries. We keep braces on site at Valley Physiotherapy, so we can fit you on the day and set the brace at the correct angle.
If we think there might be other damage, we can arrange an MRI and, if needed, an orthopaedic opinion. We have good working relationships with local surgeons and can communicate with them directly about things like brace angles, which saves you time and hassle.
What happens if you wait to get a knee ligament injury braced?
Timing really matters.
The sooner you go into a brace (if you need one), the better your recovery tends to go. Coming in on Monday morning, day one after the injury, is much better than waiting a week or two for a GP appointment, then imaging, and ending up three or four weeks down the track before you're braced.
By then you may have missed an important healing window.
It's like setting a broken bone. Get it in the right position early and it heals well. Leave it, and it's much harder to get right.
Book a knee injury assessment
If you've twisted your knee in a tackle, or it's buckled in or out playing sport, book a knee assessment at Valley Physiotherapy in Thornton or Kurri Kurri.
We'll get you an accurate diagnosis, fit a brace on day one if you need it, and start your recovery straight away.
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