MCL Tear Surgery

While most MCL injuries can be healed through conservative treatment methods, surgery is required in some cases. If you have a Grade 3 MCL tear (complete rupture), you may need surgery in order to regain proper range of motion. Surgery may also be needed if the ACL or other structures in the knee were damaged along with the MCL. There are also cases where the MCL was torn in a way that does not respond to conservative treatments.

The most common MCL surgery is called an MCL Repair. An MCL Repair procedure is done through a small incision on the inside portion of your knee. While the procedure itself is not done arthroscopically, the surgeon may use an arthroscope (tiny camera on the end of a tube) to get a better look at the damage to your MCL. If your MCL has been detached from your thighbone or shinbone, it will need to be reattached with strong sutures or a metal screw. Tears to the middle portion of the MCL are stitched back together.

If you have a severe tear and/or degenerated MCL, you may need an MCL Reconstruction. In this procedure, a piece of tissue from another part of your body, or a donor tissue, is used to replace the damaged MCL. This is called a tissue graft.