What hurts more MCL or ACL tear?

While not always the case, an ACL tear is in most cases going to be the more severe injury. It is considered worse than tearing the MCL because ACL tears are in general more complex to treat and require a longer recovery time after surgery.

Is it worse to tear ACL or MCL?

An ACL tear is more serious than an MCL tear, and may require surgery to repair. Recovery time may be 6 months or more, including rehabilitation. An MCL tear can take around 8 weeks to recover from, but surgery is usually not required.

What's worse than an ACL injury?

PCL Tear. Tearing the PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) is not as common but also usually requires surgical repair. If not, the knee can become unstable and cause increased force to the knee cap.

How painful is a torn MCL?

MCL injuries hurt. Most people feel pain along the inside edge of the knee, and they also have swelling. You might hear a pop when the damage to the knee takes place, and your knee may lurch to the side. You may find it hard to walk, or feel like you can't put pressure on the leg with the hurt knee.

Why does MCL heal better than ACL?

For example, the MCL is a capsular-type ligament with a better blood supply and outside the synovial fluid of the knee, which allows clot formation and a better healing environment.

ACL vs MCL: What's the Difference?

Is an MCL tear career ending?

Treatment for meniscus tears

Severe meniscus tears will also require knee surgery and potential transplants. With prompt treatment, meniscus tears will not necessarily be career-ending injuries.

Does an MCL tear ever fully heal?

MCL tears usually heal well if they're treated properly. Complications from MCL tears are rare. Most athletes who experience an MCL tear are able to return to their sport after their injury has healed.

How long is recovery time for MCL surgery?

After surgery, you'll use crutches and a knee brace for about six weeks. At a post-op visit one to two weeks after surgery, your doctor will check your knee and remove the stitches. Recovery time depends on any related knee injuries but is generally between nine and 12 months.

Does MCL tear hurt immediately?

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Medial Collateral Ligament Tear? Most people who tear their MCL feel pain and a "pop" in their knee when the injury happens. Their knee usually swells soon after the injury, most of the time around the inside part of the knee.

What does a Grade 3 MCL tear feel like?

Grade III MCL Tear Symptoms: A complete tear of the MCL, Grade III is the most severe classification of this injury. These patients experience significant pain and swelling which often affects their ability to bend their knee.

What's the most painful knee injury?

One of the most feared sports and work injuries is a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which has ended or derailed the careers of numerous high-profile athletes. A torn ACL is very painful and can debilitate a person for several months and perhaps for life, although recovery for some is possible.

What is the most painful tendon to tear?

One of the most painful injuries of the feet and ankles is a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is thick and long. On one end, it attaches to your heel bone; on the other end, the tendon is embedded in your calf muscle.

Will you ever be the same after an ACL injury?

In some patients, their knee is not the same. In some patients, ten years later their knee is not the same. Some people do very well with ACL reconstruction surgery, some do very well with second or revision ACL surgery. Some do well with the third ACL reconstruction/revision surgery.

Is MCL easier to heal than ACL?

MCL tears are typically easier to recover from than ACL tears. With an MCL tear, the recovery process may take up to eight weeks or more with rehabilitation. On the other hand, an ACL tear will most likely require surgery and at least six months or more of rehabilitation.

Can you still walk with a torn MCL?

If the MCL or ACL tears, the result is usually pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability. In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates.

Can I bend my knee with a torn ACL?

If you're able to put pressure on your hurt leg, you may notice that it's harder than normal to walk. Some people find that the knee joint feels looser than it should. Less range of motion. After you damage your ACL, it's very likely that you won't be able to bend and flex your knee like you normally would.

Can you bend your knee with a torn MCL?

The knee may feel stiff, and a person may have difficulty straightening their leg or bending their knee. They may also find climbing the stairs or sitting in a chair challenging as this requires them to bend their knee. A torn MCL can affect the stability of the knee.

Does a torn MCL require surgery?

Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury and the treatment option used. Grade I and II MCL tears are normally not severe, and they rarely require surgery. Recovery times for these injuries range from a few days to two weeks. Grade III MCL tears are the most severe, and they often require surgery.

What does it feel like to injure MCL?

Knee swelling. Locking or catching of the knee when you move it. Pain and tenderness along the inside of the joint. A knee that gives way or feels like it is going to give when it is active or stressed in a certain way.

Are you awake during MCL surgery?

You also may be given medicine to help you relax. You will stay awake during your arthroscopic knee surgery.

Can an MCL grow back?

Will an MCL injury heal itself? Many MCL injuries do have the ability to heal. This is especially true if the MCL is the only ligament torn around the knee. Partial MCL tears almost always heal, while complete MCL tears mostly heal.

How do I know if my MCL needs surgery?

You may need MCL surgery if you have a grade III tear, where the ligament has completely torn, and the ligament is non-functional. Also, if you are an elite athlete with multiple knee ligament injuries, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the ligament.

What grade is an MCL injury?

MCL sprains are graded according to their level of severity: Grade I (minor), Grade II (moderate), Grade III (severe). A Grade I sprain will have a few fibers torn, some pain, little to no swelling, and good stability.

Who has famous MCL injuries?

Many well-recognized professional athletes, including Jay Cutler, Hines Ward, Knowshan Moreno, and Troy Polamalu, have suffered from a medial collateral ligament tears after injury on the football field. These can occur alone or in combination with other ligament or cartilage injuries of the knee in athletes.

Will my knee ever be the same after ACL surgery?

This means that an ACL reconstruction surgery can get your knee to very close to perfectly healthy, but it will still never be quite as healthy as it was before the actual injury.