Introduction
Injuries to the ligamentous apparatus of the knee occur very frequently, especially in athletes. Depending on which ligament structure(s) are affected, healing of the injury can prove to be uncomplicated or even more protracted, so that surgical therapy is necessary. A rupture of the inner ligament (inner collateral ligament) is usually more likely to be associated with unproblematic injuries.
To treat this injury, a splint is usually applied and physiotherapy is prescribed in parallel. Nevertheless, complications and delays in healing can occur. Patience and discipline during the healing phase are then of the utmost importance. As a last option, an operation can finally enable the knee to be fully loaded again.
Support of the healing process
How well or quickly a torn inner ligament heals individually is difficult to predict and depends on many different factors. In any case, it is important to adhere to the therapeutic measures. On the one hand, this includes simple measures such as cooling (especially the inner side) of the knee and protection, or an appropriate partial loading of the joint.
Pain does not have to be endured during this time, but should be treated sufficiently with medications from the group of NSAIDs, which include, for example, ibuprofen, diclofenac and also aspirin (ASA). In addition, regular physiotherapeutic treatment is beneficial to the healing process. Apart from the outpatient therapy with a trained physiotherapist, the patient should also carry out exercises independently at home.
On the one hand, this can lead to faster healing success and on the other hand, it can increase the later resilience. As helpful as independent exercises can be, overloading should be avoided. In any case, the exercises should be discussed with the treating physician and/or physiotherapist.
Healing time
As a rule, a partial or complete tear of the inner ligament of the knee is expected to take about 2 – 10 weeks to heal. After this time, the joint is usually fully resilient again. In the case of partial tears, it is often even possible to resume a light sports program after only 2 – 3 weeks, whereas more severe tears require immobilization by means of a splint (orthosis) for up to 6 weeks.
However, this is also associated with a significantly slower increase in load, which means that full loading of the knee, for example during sports, is only possible again after 2 – 3 months. If wearing an orthosis does not bring sufficient healing success either, surgery may eventually become necessary. Due to the lengthy treatment and healing process, severe internal firing cracks can therefore take up to 9 months in rare cases to heal completely.
It can take up to a year until the knee joint, following a tear in the inner ligament of the knee, is fully fit for sports comparable to its state before the injury. The healing time can vary greatly from person to person. It depends, among other things, on the severity of the injury, sufficient protection at the beginning and an appropriate increase in physiotherapeutic load.
