Incidence, Positional Distribution, Severity, and Time Missed in Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Knee in NCAA Division i Football Athletes

Abstract

Introduction: We studied injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football players, their incidence, magnitude of injury, distribution by position, and missed time, which has not previously been described in a consecutive series. Methods: The knee injuries sustained in 163 consecutive NCAA Division I collegiate football players at our institution were evaluated over a span of 6 years. Results: The incidence of MCL injuries with any knee injury was 29% (47 of 163). Of 47 MCL injuries, 34% occurred in defensive linemen and 29% in offensive linemen. The average days missed by linemen were 14.65 compared with 4.5 by nonlinemen (P = 0.07). The MCL injuries in linemen were more severe than nonlinemen (0.018). Discussion: MCL injuries occur most commonly in linemen in whom the magnitude of injury is also more significant than nonlinemen. Linemen miss more days than do nonlinemen to MCL injury.