The knee is considered one of the most complex joints in the human .
Because so many sports apply stress to on the knee, the knee is one of the .
most commonly injured joint. The knee is considered a hinge joint, but because .
the rotation of the tibia is an essential part of knee movement, the knee is not a .
true hinge joint. The stability of the knee joint depends primarily on the .
ligaments, the joint capsul and the muscles that surround the joint. In this report .
i will concentrate on one of the ligamants, the MCL, or the Medial Collateral .
Ligament. .
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Injury occurs as a result from a medial directed force from the lateral side, .
or from an external rotation of the tibia. Tears resulting from rotation combined .
with side stress with the foot fixed result in an ACl and occaionally PCl tears. .
More significant injuries occur with medial sprains than from lateral sprains .
because increased potential of injury to the joint capsule and medial meniscus. .
Many mild-to-moderate sprains leave the knee unstable and vulnderable to .
additional internal derangements. .
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Because the medial collateral ligament attaches above the joint line of the .
medial condyle of the femur and inserts well below the joint line of the on the .
tibia, the main function of the medial collateral ligament is to stabalize the knee .
against side-to-side forces at the knee joint. An example of this would be, a .
running back that gets hit on his side at the knee joint. The medial collateral .
ligament's major purpose is to protect the knee from side to side forces, but it .
also protects the knee from external tibia rotation.
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There are many tests that can be used when assesing a knee injury.One .
test is the Valgus stress test. This test is inteded to reveal the laxity of the medial .
and lateral ligaments. The athlete lies on his back with the leg extended. To test .
the medial collateral ligament, a side force is applied with the knee fully extended .
