MCL Injuries in the Setting of ACL Reconstruction
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears rarely happen in isolation. A significant number of patients who tear their ACL also injure the medial collateral ligament (MCL) — usually from the same twisting or valgus (knock-knee) force that damaged the ACL in the first place. Understanding how these two injuries interact is essential for getting the treatment sequence right, because managing a combined ACL-MCL injury is not simply "fix both ligaments at once."
ACL Injury Prevention: What Actually Works
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are among the most common and most feared injuries in sport — they sideline athletes for 9-12 months, carry a real risk of re-injury, and raise the long-term risk of knee osteoarthritis. The good news is that a large and growing body of research shows ACL injury risk isn't just bad luck. Structured prevention programs can meaningfully reduce tear rates, especially in high-risk sports like soccer, basketball, and handball.
Lateral Extra-Articular Tenodesis: Enhancing ACL Reconstruction Outcomes
For certain patients (particularly young athletes, those with high-grade pivot shift, or those with specific anatomical risk factors) a technique called lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LEAT) is increasingly being used alongside standard ACL reconstruction to improve outcomes.