This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Different types of knee ligaments injury

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The medial collateral ligament is the most commonly injured knee ligament. There is a history of valgus displacement and external rotation at the knee.

The soft tissues supporting the knee rupture in a layer-by- layer sequence:

  • the first layer to rupture is the superficial capsular ligament
  • as the tibia is forced further into external rotation the medial collateral ligament will rupture
  • the last of the supporting ligaments to rupture will be the anterior cruciate ligament

Damage to the lateral knee ligaments is less common than injury of the medial ligaments. Injury to the lateral ligament results from the knee being forced into varus.

The posterior cruciate ligament may be damaged if:

  • the knee is forced backwards in relation to the femur
  • there is hyperextension of the knee

The anterior cruciate ligament may be damaged by sharp twisting movements:

  • an injury which causes a valgus displacement and external rotation (see above)
  • a tackle from behind which forces the femur forwards on the tibia

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.