Other Body1 Health Sites:				Empower your Life^®
Circulatory System	Dental Care	Diabetes	General Health	Heartburn	Orthopedics	Skin Care	Women's Health

Home

Education Center

Multimedia

Community

Care Tools

Sports Care

Chronic Care

Physician Finder

Research

News

Resources

Home

»	Expert_Advice

»	Ask an Expert

EXPERT ADVICE: From the Experts

Knee1.com strives to provide users with as many tools as possible to educate themselves on their knee problems. In the past, we offered an interactive "Ask an Expert" feature, but due to an extremely high volume of questions, we are now seeking to find alternate ways to provide our users with access to the information they're looking for. In seeking medical advice, we encourage you to use these resources:

Below are some of the most-recently-answered questions from our Medical Experts. We recommend you read over these questions as well as search our "Frequently Asked Questions" to see if your question has already been answered.

Question:
Hi, I'm a Tae Kwon-Do student and as part of a coursework activity I have to suggest ways of training for a student with a long-term knee inury - a medial ligament tear. Tae Kwon-Do involves a considerable amount of kicking movement and leg flexibility, particularly moving the leg below the knee in kicking movements while keeping the leg above the knee relatively still. Are these movements a complete impossiblity or could they be attempted with caution and low speed? I read that part of the treatment for an MCL injury is exercise to build up the muscles around the ligament. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Many Thanks, Iain Johnston

Dr. Golden

David Golden Dr. Golden is an orthopedic surgeon and the author of the "Knee Pain" chapter in the upcoming "Manual of Pain Management". He has presented numerous scientific studies at orthopedic conferences. In addition, Dr. Golden is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS),the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).

Answer:
If the injury is to the MCL, then these often heal. They are non-operative unless they are associated with another ligament injury. It takes usually 7-10 weeks to totally heal. If there is residual laxity (looseness) of the medial aspect of the knee after it has totally healed, then surgery may be considered. Balance and kicking will certainly push the limit of an poorly functioning MCL. The knee should be examined for stability first prior to attempting sports such as martial arts.

	Ask an Expert Archives
	04-Sep-00 I am a healthy physically fit 20 year old male, who after jogging 1.5 miles for the first time in 2 ... 04-Sep-00 I work out about 5 times a week. I do everything from step class, cardio kick and body pump. Lately,... 01-Sep-00 If I have torn cartilage, found out by a MRI, what sports are ok to do and is rollarblading one of t... 01-Sep-00 I tore my right acl, mcl and I have grade II degenerative changes within the posterior horn of the m... 29-Aug-00 After arthroscopy to repair muniscal tears, my left knee still collapses swells and is in constant p... Previous 5 Questions ... Next 5 Questions ...