Second or third degree lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury

Alternative names:

injury - knee - LCL - second or third degree; injury - lateral collateral ligament - second or third degree; injury - LCL - second or third degree; knee injury - lateral collateral ligament - second or third degree; lateral collateral ligament injury - second or third degree

Definition:

An injury to the knee described as a partial or complete tear, dislocation, or stretch of the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) from the bone attachments that form the knee, or anywhere else along the length of the ligament. A second degree injury is a partial tear with no firm endpoint when the joint is stressed, and a third degree is a complete tear of the ligament. See also first degree lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) is a ligament extending from the top-outside surface of the fibula (one of the lower leg bones) to the bottom-outside surface of the femur (thigh bone). The ligament prevents the knee joint from lateral instability, that is, instability on the outer side of the joint.

The LCL is usually injured by pressure placed on the knee-joint from the inside or medial pressure, resulting in stress on the outside of the joint (varus stress).