How is an MCL tear treated?

Most people who have an MCL tear recover from non-surgical treatment. This is because your MCL has a good blood supply, which makes it easier for your tear to heal. Non-surgical treatment for an MCL tear can include:

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While non-surgical treatment is very effective in treating MCL tears, professional athletes may want to consider undergoing surgery to fix their tear due to the amount of stress and pressure they’ll have on their knee when they return to their sport. If you have an MCL tear and other knee injuries at the same time, you’ll likely have to undergo surgery to fix your injuries.

If you need to have surgery for your MCL tear, your surgeon will either reattach the torn part of your MCL or reconstruct and/or augment your MCL using a graft. An MCL graft can be constructed with a piece of tissue from elsewhere in your body, such as your hamstring tendons, or from a donor. Your surgeon will likely use small incisions (cuts) on your inner knee to perform your MCL surgery.

Recovery time from MCL surgery depends on a few factors, including:

The severity of your MCL tear.

The type of surgery you had.

If you also had surgery on other parts of your knee.

Your age and overall health.

MCL surgery recovery often involves physical therapy to increase your strength and the range of motion in your knee.

A grade 1 MCL tear (minor tear) can usually heal on its own with rest within one to three weeks. Grade 2 and grade 3 MCL tears, which are more severe, need proper treatment in order to heal, which can include resting, wearing a knee brace and doing physical therapy. If you injure your knee, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

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Most MCL tears heal well without surgery. However, if you have other knee injuries alongside an MCL tear, you will likely need to undergo surgery. Professional athletes may need to consider surgery to fix their MCL tear to prevent future MCL issues when they return to their sport.