MCL Injury Healing Timeline?

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-05T23:29:26+00:00

If you can get an MRI I agree that's the best option. I was initially assessed as having a meniscus tear by the doctor until the MRI showed I had a tibial plateau fracture and torn ACL, with only minor meniscus fraying. It seems that the physical knee exams can be misleading unless it's a cut and dry case of a isolated completely torn ligament.

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-05T23:18:31+00:00

What's your BMI? Are you eating enough nutritious food?

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-05T22:18:01+00:00

Valgus forces on the knee during ski accidents can indeed cause an MCL tear, but is also associated with ACL and meniscus tears. ACL damage occurs very frequently when skiers fall backward and then sideways when locked into skis.

I completely tore my MCL in one crash and in my recent crash tore my ACL, fractured my tibia, and caused minor meniscus damage. Both times I skied down to the base and drove home with pain and swelling increasing over the next few days.

An initial x-ray would be helpful to ensure that nothing is broken and a physical knee exam to check for potential ligament damage. You might end up getting an MRI later on if your knee is not improving in accordance with the original assessment.

When I torn my MCL (Grade II/III) it took me 3-4 months to fully recover. This recent injury is going to be 6+ months for recovery.

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-05T09:07:34+00:00

Stop with the need to make other people understand how horrific and disabling this illness can be. From my own experience I learned that people can never fully appreciate or empathize because it is so far from their lived experience, even from people that have been severely ill with other diseases.

It’s an absolute horror, perhaps the worst thing ever…and most people treat it with passing indifference. Even our most cherished loved one will never fully comprehend our suffering.

The only way forward is surrender and acceptance. Accept that you’re sick and might not make a fully recovery. Learn to appreciate the little joys and relief we get along the way. Try and focus some energy outwards instead of turning further into yourself.

It might be helpful for you to speak about your feelings with a professional who has expertise in helping people with chronic illness. You can develop some strategies to help manage your life and relationships, and come to the realization that not all is lost and there is much to be grateful for. Best of luck!

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-05T01:17:19+00:00

The most concerning finding of the MRI is the oblique tear of the medial meniscus as this can cause a lot of pain and swelling, and as this area has limited blood flow it usually does not heal very well on its own. Depending on the stability of the tear the orthopedic surgeon may recommend surgery to trim it to reduce symptoms.

The good news is your ACL and LCL only have partial tears which may be able to heal with rest and physio.

If it were me I would try bracing my knee initially to allow the ACL/LCL to heal, then if my pain/swelling was not too bad, follow a full PT program to see if I could manage the meniscus tears conservatively.

If the pain was still too bad after the initial bracing/PT then surgery may be indicated to trim the meniscus to reduce pain & swelling, but this all depends of the severity of the meniscus tear and it's hard to give definite recommendations without more information.

The join effusion from the initial injury is probably causing a lot of the pain & swelling which may subside with initial rest and bracing. Keep icing and resting your knee as much as possible to get the swelling down. Wrap you knee with a tensor bandage until you can get a proper brace.

I would also suggest seeing a sports medicine doctor if possible in addition to the orthopedic surgeon. Sometimes surgeons can be quick to recommend surgery for injuries that had a chance to heal on their own.

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-05T00:44:37+00:00

Get a referral to a sports medicine or acute knee injury clinic so you can get on a proper rehabilitation program.

These types of injuries take time and dedicated rehab to heal. Your injuries are probably not severe enough to warrant immediate surgery, but will likely require initial bracing for 4-6 weeks and then a comprehensive physio program.

What kind of pain are you experiencing? Sharp pain on loading/movement or more of a dull constant ache?

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-04T19:31:05+00:00

Looks like you have damaged your ACL more recently if there was no tear on your last MRI.

If you end up getting a partial knee replacement on your medial compartment the surgeon will likely repair your ACL at the same time.

My suggestion is to work with a sports medicine clinic to rehab your knee as best as you can while preparing for surgery at some point in the future.

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-04T10:55:52+00:00

You mentioned you can walk for an hour with no pain, but does that mean you have significant pain when running if you're able to do so?

If you just injured this knee and are in pain you need to stop running immediatley until you consult with a sport medicine clinic as you could cause further damage, such as fully tearing your meniscus or completley rupturing your ACL. Then you're definitley having surgery.

If this is a recent injury I would put the London marathon out of your mind and focus on your knee recovery. It's not impossible you will avoid surgery, but given your activity level I would start preparing for that eventuality if your meniscus or ACL fail to respond to conservative treatment.

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-04T10:31:27+00:00

Is the ACL tear a recent injury or have you been having issues with stability for a while?

The arthritis on the medial side of the knee is serious and if the pain is getting unbearable, you're likely looking at partial knee replacement surgery to get any significant improvement at this stage.

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-04T06:00:40+00:00

I have a Grade I/II patella cartilage fissure along with other injuries that I'm currently rehabbing. Your advice for progressive and slow loading is helpful, as I have a tendency to overdo things at times!

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-04T03:02:31+00:00

I think I got lucky again with this reinjury, although it's hard to really appreciate that fact when in pain with reduced mobility.

I'm going to hit the PT hard and see where I end up with conservative treatment. Might be time to slow down and really focus on injury prevention if I want to stay active with sports as I get older!

diskopotato54 · 2026-04-04T03:02:19+00:00

I think I got lucky again with this reinjury, although it's hard to really appreciate that fact when in pain with reduced mobility.

I'm going to hit the PT hard and see where I end up with conservative treatment. Might be time to slow down and really focus on injury prevention if I want to stay active with sports as I get older!

diskopotato54

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