Description
In a detailed presentation, Andy Williams discusses deep medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries that are particularly prevalent among football players. He highlights the unusual nature of these injuries, how they often present as minor problems but can lead to persistent pain and dysfunction in athletes, especially affecting their ability to curve the ball—a critical skill in football. Williams shares insights from his research conducted under Andrew Amis at Imperial College, focusing on MCL anatomy, biomechanics, and clinical practices.
The presentation reviews a series of cases from professional footballers, emphasizing distinctive MRI findings of edema in the deep MCL, which contrasts with typical superficial MCL injuries. Williams outlines the surgical approach to repairing these injuries, emphasizing the importance of recognizing these lesions as the missing link in treating athletes with ongoing pain despite no apparent instability.
The talk culminates with a call to re-evaluate common perceptions of MCL anatomy and the implications of deep MCL injuries on surgical outcomes and rehabilitation times, asserting the necessity of addressing these injuries to prevent further complications, particularly in conjunction with ACL injuries.