SEE THE PREVIOUS POST ( 8.1) FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE NORMAL SUPERFICIAL AND DEEP MCL.
Trauma to the MCL can be of a number of types
- Strain
- Partial Tear ( varying severity Mild, Moderate, Severe)
- Full thickness tear
- Rupture and retraction
Image Above: Yellow arrow superficial MCL intact with oedema at the adjacent soft tissue ( red arrow) in keeping with a strain.
Image above: Low grade tear ( yellow arrow) with localised loss of fibres and increased tT signal.
Image Above: High grade partial tear sMCL with absence of normal appearing fibres ( red arrow) but no retraction or loss of taughtness of sMCL. Tear of the meniscofemoral component of hte dMCL ( blue arrow). Meniscotibial dMCL intact ( yellow arrow).
Image above: Complete tear sMCL. Loss of continuity of fibres and a wavy appearance indicates loss of attachment.