A multi-ligament knee injury is common, especially among athletes. While many ligament injuries will involve a single ligament, such as the ACL or MCL, when severe trauma is placed on the knee, multiple ligaments can be damaged. Multi-ligament knee injuries are considered medical emergencies. This is because of the risk of other serious problems, such as nerve or blood vessel damage. Multi-ligament injuries commonly occur during knee dislocation, or in association with a knee fracture, and can also occur with meniscus damage or articular cartilage (bone lining) damage.
Your physician will conduct a very thorough history and physical examination and will require imaging studies to assess the injury. When multiple structures are damaged, your physician will perform a multi-ligament reconstruction surgery using a graft or multiple grafts, and other surgical devices to secure the ligaments and structures back into place. The nature of the surgery, technique used, and graft choice, will all depend on which structures can heal without surgery, and which will require reconstruction. Timing of the surgery is after blood vessel damage has been ruled out, or has been properly treated. In acute situations, surgery can be 3 to 4 weeks after injury. In chronic cases, surgery is performed after the patient has regained full range of knee motion.
The following links are provided to offer insight into the various multi-ligament surgeries:
ACL and MCL Injury
ACL and PCL Injury
ACL and LCL Injury
ACL and Medial Meniscus Tear
ACL and Lateral Meniscus Tear
ACL and Cartilage Injury
ACL and Bone Bruise
ACL-PCL-MCL-LCL Injury
Knee Dislocation