LCL
Knee Injury & Football

CL or Lateral Collateral Ligament Injury is
an injury to the ligament located outside the knee. LCL ligament
links the thigh bone and the shin bone. The kind of injury
caused by the damage to this ligament is also known as a sprain
and occurs if the knee is twisted or forced during a game.
LCL is classified depending on the severity
of the damage to the ligament:
• A 1st degree sprain
means damage to several ligament fibres.
• A 2nd degree sprain means damage
to a larger group of ligament fibres but the ligament is still
intact.
• A 3rd degree sprain means a ruptured
ligament.
LCL Injury is common amongst footballers when
the opponent applies force to the inner part of the legs just
below the knee during a tackle.
The force applied to the inside part of the knee joint may
rupture the ligament. Severe cases follow when the Anterior
Cruciate Ligament and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament are
ruptured.
How Do
We Know it’s LCL Knee Ligament Injury?
In 1st degree sprains, pain is felt when the
knee is damaged and is sore when touched and when the knee
is bent. It is aggravated by standing up from a sitting position.
In 2nd degree sprains, the pain is more intensified
but swelling of the knees may not be present due to the location
of the ligament.
In 3rd degree sprains, the ligament is totally
ruptured and the pain is excruciating and the knee joint becomes
unstable.
How Do We Treat LCL Knee
Ligament Injury?
PRICE or protection, rest,
ice, compression and elevation are the emergent care for sprain.
However, ice should not be applied directly to the skin as
it may cause ice burns. Pain killing medications prescribed
by the doctor may be necessary to take. Elevation of the site
is essential and a cohesive bandage may be used to compress
the site and prevent further swelling. Knee braces
could also be a lot of assistance in protecting the knee.

View
Reusable ice pack
In 1st degree sprains, sport activities should
be stopped for 3 weeks.
A 2nd degree sprain takes 6-8 weeks of rehabilitation
under the supervision of a physiotherapist. A buoyancy aid
is an effective thing to do to maintain fitness while recovering
from the sprain.
The treatment of choice for 3rd degree sprain
is surgery. The reconstructive surgery depends on the position
of the ligament and the surgeon’s preference
Running in a swimming pool, using a buoyancy aid, is an ideal
method of maintaining fitness while the ligament is healing.

Click
here to view buoyancy jackets for water therapy
.
How Do We Prevent LCL
Knee Ligament Injury?
A previous knee injury predisposes the knee
for LCL knee ligament injury. However, there are measures
to prevent the occurrence of the injury. A knee brace
provides knee stability and reassures the knee in activities
that needs a lot of foot work.
A rehabilitation programme with a trained physiotherapist
will also help. The treatment regime must include a lot of
proprioception (balance) exercises since this kind of activity
is greatly affected by the damage to the ligament. An excellent
tool for continuing this kind of exercise is a wobble board,
which is mostly done at Football Injury Home in continuation
of the treatment regimen with a trained physiotherapist.

Click
here to View a Recommended Wobble Board
Football Rescue Recommends
Knee Supports




5 Star Rating

Excellent medial and lateral support ideal for footballers.
This wraparound design knee brace is suitable for cases of
knee instability due to knee ligament injuries.
How does it work?
This high quality knee brace is lightweight and comfortable,
with lock-stitch taped seams and fully trimmed edges for durability.
The flexible spiral stays and dual criss-cross elastic straps
create firm medial and lateral knee support which reproduces
the effect of taping to support the medial collateral ligament
(MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) of the knee.
The upper and lower Velcro fasteners act as 'anchors' and
knee stabilisers to maintain maximum support. This provides
support without compromising mobility and may be more suitable
for those engaged in activities that would be overly compromised
by a hinged support.
When can I use it?
*Extremely effective in relieving knee pain by taking the
stress off knee ligaments that may be injured.
*Perfect for injuries to the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)
or Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL).
*Also provides knee pain relief and knee support following
a Cartilage injury or when there is mild Arthritis in the
knee.
*Ideal knee brace when you require good knee support
but need to maintain full movement.
Excellent
medial and lateral support ideal for footballers. Multi-tiered,
plush-lined elastic body with wraparound design.

The
Knee sport strap is designed to simulate knee joint strapping
techniques used to support the collateral knee ligaments and
restrict joint rotation but still enable running