We recently seen Karl Lacy tog out and play against Mayo with heavy taping on his leg to protect a recent Medial Collateral ligament (MCL) injury.

The medial collateral ligament is a band of tissue that connects the thighbone to the lower leg and helps prevent the knee from buckiling inwards. It can be injured when twisting or landing or when a standing leg is tackled from the outside forcing it to buckle inwards.

Initial management should be

  • Compress with a bandage
  • Use crutches to take the weight off
  • Apply ice pack

What are the symptoms?

  • Swelling.
  • Pain.
  • Local tenderness on the inside of the joint.
  • Bruising.

Specific tests and scans can diagnose the extent of the damage and the length of time the player will be out of action for. In Karl’s case, he obviously needed more time to regain 100% confidence in his ability the twist and turn to make those turn overs he has been famous for over the past few seasons.

Mild or Grade 1 injuries usually get better in 1 to 3 weeks and may only needhome treatment along with using crutches for a short time.

Moderate or Grade 2 injuries usually get better in about a month. You may need to wear a hinged knee brace and limit how much weight you put on your leg.

Severe or grade 3 injuries may require wearing a hinged brace for a few months, and limiting weight on the leg for 4 to 6 weeks.