ACL, MCL and Meniscus Injuries Explained: What Athletes Need to Know

One bad landing on a wet Maidan pitch and a season can end in seconds. ACL MCL and Meniscus Injuries are the three knee problems that trouble sportspersons the most, whether you play club football, Sunday cricket or box cricket after office hours. In the first hour they look almost the same. The knee swells, the leg feels loose, walking becomes a chore. Yet each of these knee ligament injuries heals differently and needs its own plan.

ACL MCL and Meniscus Injuries and the Structures That Keep the Knee Stable

The knee is a hinge that also rotates. Three structures take most of the load when an athlete cuts, pivots or lands.

• ACL (anterior cruciate ligament): sits deep inside the joint and stops the shin bone from sliding forward or twisting too far.
• MCL (medial collateral ligament): runs along the inner side of the knee and resists the joint buckling inwards.
• Meniscus: two C-shaped cartilage cushions that act as shock absorbers between the thigh bone and shin bone.