Collateral ligaments are the ligaments on the inside of the knee (medial collateral ligament, aka MCL) and outside of the knee (lateral collateral ligament, aka LCL). “These prevent shifting in and out of the knee,” said Dr. Calloway. Possibly more well-known are the cruciate ligaments, the two main ligaments on the inside part of the knee, behind the knee cap. “The anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL, prevents the shin bone from moving forward on the thighbone, and it also prevents some rotation of the knee,” said Dr. Calloway. “The PCL, the posterior cruciate ligament, prevents the shin bone from moving backward as compared to the thighbone.” What Are The Most Common Knee Ligament Injuries? The ACL in front of the knee and the MCL, connecting the tibia and femur bones inside the knee, are common injury sites while less common is damaging the PCL behind the knee. “When we look at all four of those ligaments of the knee, the most commonly injured ligament is called the ACL,” said Dr. Calloway. “It’s very common Dr. Calloway cautions that nonathletes can also be at-risk for knee ligament injuries. “Even outside of the world of sports, these types of injuries can happen,” said Dr. Calloway. “Types of (injured) patients that I’ve seen in my clinic are things like tripping over a garden hose or slipping on ice. With the MCL, it could be the dog running through the house and hitting the outside part of the knee, making the inside part be injured. So while we always talk about sports and that’s the type of thing that we think about, there are a lot of things around the house and around the yard that can also cause issues.” Who Is Most At Risk For Knee Ligament Injuries? “Young women are actually at most risk for these types of injuries, especially when talking about the ACL,” said Dr. Calloway. Although musculoskeletal injuries are usually not genderspecific, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that women appear to be more susceptible to ACL injuries than men. Women basketball players are twice as likely as their male counterparts to experience this kind of ligament injury. Women soccer players are four times as likely as men to experience an ACL tear. in athletes. These types of injuries are most caused by what in our field we call non-contact injuries. If you’re watching an athlete running on the field, especially in football, you can see they plant their leg, their knee twists and they fall to the ground. So, a lot of times these types of non-contact injuries happen that way.” The second most injured knee ligament is the MCL, located on the inside of the knee. MCL injuries can sometimes happen if someone or something hits the outside part of the knee. “The other two ligaments, the PCL and the LCL, are a little bit more rarely injured,” said Dr. Calloway. “Those can sometimes happen with things like motorcycle wrecks.” What Are Main Causes Of Knee Ligament Injuries? Many knee injuries happen from contact or accidents, but knee ligament injuries can also happen without contact to the knee, such as from twisting or turning.
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