Ligament Injuries

A tear in one of these ligaments is usually the result of a fall or contact trauma. It is likely to cause you immediate pain in the injured area. The discomfort and pain, which can range from mild to severe, is usually worse when you walk or bend your knee.

Your knee contains four ligaments. These are tough bands of tissue that connect your thighbone (femur) to your lower leg bones (tibia and fibula). You have two collateral ligaments of each knee. One on the inside called the medial collateral ligament and one on the outside called the lateral collateral ligament. If the collateral ligament sprains or tears, you may feel a ripping sensation. In some cases, this ligament may become calcified after repeated injuries. This is known as Pellegrini-Stieda syndrome.

Your Doctor will examine your knee, including the area of the medial collateral ligament. An MCL test will be done to detect looseness of the ligament. This test involves bending the knee to 25 degrees and putting pressure on the outside surface of the knee. Other tests may include Knee MRI and Knee joint x-rays. Treatment to provide relief includes applying ice to the area, raising the knee above heart level, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). You should limit physical exercises and activity until the pain and swelling go away. After an initial period of keeping your knee still (usually with a knee brace), knee strengthening and stretching exercises should be done. KNEEHAB® combined with physical / voluntary exercises will provide you with an excellent remedy to help regain your knee and leg strength.

The quadriceps muscle is the most important stabilizer of the knee. After ligament injuries pain and swelling often cause disuse, which leads to muscle weakness. After an initial period of pain relief treatment and keeping the knee still, knee strengthening and stretching exercises should be done. An essential component of your rehabilitation after injury is strengthening of the quadriceps muscle and KNEEHAB® is ideal for this purpose.

KNEEHAB® is an innovative and clinically proven, garment-based Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) device. It is designed specifically to treat quadriceps atrophy (thigh muscle wastage) that arises from being unable to exercise after your ligament injury. It re-educates the muscle by sending gentle electrical pulses through pads placed on the surface of the skin. This electrical stimulation applied to the motor nerve re-educates and strengthens the quadriceps muscle through cycles of contraction and relaxation.

It is recommended that KNEEHAB® be used in conjunction with voluntary exercise in order to optimize and control your rehabilitation.