LCL Injuries Non-Surgical Treatment

Can an LCL injury be treated without surgery?

Most of the time injuries to the PLC do not heal on their own because the thighbone and the shinbone (lateral femoral condyle of the femur and lateral tibial plateau of the tibia) are both convex (round) which makes this part of the knee inherently unstable if the ligaments and tendons are damaged. Thus, these injuries should be seen and treated quickly to achieve the best outcomes. Additionally, almost all complete PLC injuries occur with injuries to other knee ligaments. When additional ligaments are involved, surgical reconstruction is required to restore the anatomy.

In some cases, a patient may suffer from an isolated LCL injury. In this situation, it may be possible to attempt to treat the injury without surgery depending on the extent and severity of the injury. Non-operative treatment of LCL injuries involves a change in activities to avoid movements that cause knee pain, instability, and excessive varus stress to the knee. Additional conservative treatment options include over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and inflammation, use of a hinged knee brace, and physical therapy. Typically, symptoms will resolve within 2-4 months of conservative, non-surgical treatment. If your knee pain is resolved with non-operative treatment and you can return to your desired level of activity, then no LCL surgery is needed.