Coronary Ligament Sprain

Symptoms of a Coronary Ligament Sprain

It 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 present.
• Range of motion is not usually limited although the end of range may be uncomfortable.

What is a Coronary ligament?

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.

How is a Coronary Ligament Sprain Caused?

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.

Treatment of Coronary Ligament Sprain  

What can the athlete do?  

• Rest for aggravating activities.
• Cold therapy to ease pain, inflammation, bleeding and swelling.
• Compression via a compression bandage or support to limit swelling.
• Visit a sports injury professional for further investigation and treatment.

What can a Sports Injury professional do?

• Prescribe the use of anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen.  
• Ultrasound or other electrotherapy treatments.
• A rehabilitation programme to promote full strength and flexibility at the knee. If this fails, an arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) may be performed to diagnose and repair the injury.