Incidence and Injury Characteristics of Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries in Male Collegiate Ice Hockey Players

Abstract

Background:Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries are the second most common injury resulting in player lost time in elite-level ice hockey.Purpose:To determine the incidence and injury characteristics of knee MCL sprain in male collegiate ice hockey players.Study Design:Case control.Methods:Athlete exposure data demographics, mechanism of injury, player position, time of injury occurrence (game vs practice), grade of MCL sprain, concomitant injuries, and lost time for cases were extracted from a computerized injury database of 8 college hockey seasons at 1 university. MCL injury rates were calculated. Injury characteristics were descriptively summarized. Simple linear regression was utilized to determine the relationship between the grade of MCL injury and player lost time.Results:There were 13 MCL injuries in 10 players. The overall incidence rate was 0.44 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures. Two players suffered reinjuries. Defensemen and forwards were equally represented. Contact with another player or the ice was the mechanism of injury in 77% of players. Grade 2 injuries were most common. The grade of injury predicted time lost from play (P < 0.01).Conclusion and Clinical Relevance:The lost time relates directly to the severity of injury.

Epidemiology of Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Ice Hockey: 2014–2015 Through 2018–2019

“…8,36 Although not extensively studied, it has been previously suggested that differential age (freshman vs senior), experience, skill level, and history of musculoskeletal injury between competitors is associated with MCL injury risk. 37 It has been noted in ice hockey players that preseason functional movement screens such as postural analysis, single-leg stance, hip mobility, pelvic alignment, and squat screen are likely to aid in identifying athletes at greater risk of sustaining a MCL tear. 38 In contrast to preventative techniques, the efficacy of prophylactic knee bracing has been observed to have little effect in reducing the risk of this injury in ice hockey players.…”

Imaging Review of Hockey-related Lower Extremity Injuries

“…Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries, in particular, are the second most common injury after concussions in collegiate-level players and the third most common injury to result in significant time loss from competition. 78 The knee is put through the full range of motion during fast skating with the optimal stride technique requiring significant knee flexion and near-complete extension. Abrupt changes in direction can result in varus, valgus, and twisting forces that result in the most common injuries around the knee: MCL, meniscal, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.…”

“…1,80 MCL injuries have a similar incidence in forward and defense positions. 78 Many MCL injuries are related to player contact; noncontact injury due to catching an edge only accounts for 15% of cases. 78,81 MRI is the definitive imaging study for assessment of MCL injuries that are graded similarly to other ligamentous injuries (►Fig.…”

“…Most MCL tears in hockey are partial tears, with one study reporting grade 1 or 2 injuries in 92% of cases. 78 Grade 3 MCL injuries are less often isolated, and therefore a concerted effort to identify other injuries is necessary. It is important to differentiate proximal versus distal locations in grade 3 MCL tears.…”

Evaluation, management and prevention of lower extremity youth ice hockey injuries

“…55 The MCL is susceptible to injury as a result of an ice collision causing a valgus stress to the knee or from a player catching a skate on the ice with a twisting force 40. MCL injury can result in substantial time lost from the ice rink 9,55. There are three grades of injury to the MCL.…”