DESCRIPTION
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
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- Rarely occurring in isolation, the classic triad of ligamentous knee injury is MCL, ACL, and medial meniscus.
- Mechanism of Injury:
- Contact: occurs in closed kinetic chain with the foot externally rotated and with a valgus stress , hyperextension, and usually occurring with a direct hit on the posterior tibia
- Non-contact: due to a sudden de-acceleration force, or sudden landing, cutting or pivoting motion
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
- Buckling
- Giving way
- Hear or feel a pop
- Difficulty with weight bearing
- Lachman's Test
- While Lachman's is specific to ruling in an ACL tear, other ligament and meniscal testing can and should be performed to assess whether the tear has occurred in isolation. Other tests than can be performed include: Knee Varus and Valgus testing for the MCL and LCL, Mcmurray's testing for medial and lateral meniscus, and Godfrey's for the PCL.
- Eliminate pain and inflammation
- Restore full knee extension ROM
- Gradually progress knee flexion ROM
- Maintain patellar mobility
- Restore quadriceps control
- Restore ambulation and return to function; return to sport.
(click here to see references)