Coronary Ligament Sprain

Coronary Ligament Sprain

Coronary ligament sprain has similar symptoms to cartilage meniscus injury and often occur with lateral ligament injuries.

Symptoms of a coronary ligament sprain

A coronary ligament sprain has very similar symptoms to that of a torn meniscus and so is often incorrectly diagnosed. Symptoms include sharp pain on twisting movements, tenderness along the joint line of the knee. Often swelling is not a feature and range of motion is not usually limited although the end of range may be uncomfortable.

Coronary ligament injury explained

There are two coronary ligaments in the knee. They are sometimes also called the meniscotibial ligaments. They are part of the fibrous joint capsule of the knee joint and are located on the inner side (medial) and outerside (lateral) of the joint. They attach to the edge of the meniscus (cartilage) and to the adjacent part of the tibia (shin bone).

Their role is to fix the meniscus (cartilage) to the bone and to also limit rotation of the knee.

Coronary ligament injuries are usually acute, sudden injuries which occur dues to twisting the knee. They frequently occur in association with MCL or lateral collateral ligament tears, or meniscus injuries. They can however also occur as a result of overuse, especially in sports which involve twisting at the knee, such as soccer, martial arts and dancing.

Coronary ligament sprain treatment

Rest for aggravating activities. Complete rest may not be necessary depending on how bad the injury is. Apply cold therapy to ease pain, inflammation, bleeding and swelling. Compression via a compression bandage or support will also help to limit swelling.

A doctor may prescribe the use of anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and use electrotherapy treatment such as ultrasound. A rehabilitation program to promote full strength and flexibility at the knee is required as soon as pain allows. If this fails, an arthroscopy or keyhole surgery may be performed to diagnose and repair the injury.