Grade III Distal Medial Collateral Ligament Tear Missed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Report of Two Cases

Abstract

Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries are the most common knee ligament injuries. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the investigation of choice for detecting such injuries. We report two cases of acute grade 3 MCL tears in young adults in which the injury was suspected clinically and was later confirmed by surgical exploration. However, the MRI failed to pick up the exact nature of injury. This report signifies the importance of an appropriate clinical examination for MCL injuries and stresses that decision-making for treatment should be based on the clinical examination rather than the MRI.