How can I prevent an MCL injury, or stop it happening again?

How MCL injuries happen

The MCL resists the knee being pushed inwards. It is usually injured by a tackle or collision from the outside, as in football, or by the knee collapsing inwards while twisting, landing or skiing. Contact injuries are hard to prevent, but the knee-collapse pattern is strongly influenced by strength and technique.

Training that helps

• Hip strength, especially the muscles at the side and back of the hip, which stop the knee falling inwards
• Quadriceps and hamstring strength to support the knee during cutting and landing
• Landing practice: land softly with knees over toes, not drifting inwards
• Balance and single-leg control drills two to three times a week
• A structured warm-up such as the FIFA 11+ programme before football, padel or basketball
• Gradual increases in training load, and training in cooler hours or indoors in Qatar's summer to limit fatigue

After a previous MCL sprain

The commonest reason for a repeat injury is returning to sport before strength and confidence have recovered. Finish the rehabilitation, pass sport-specific tests and expect a gradual return. A hinged brace for the first weeks back in contact sport can make sense for some players, but it supports rather than replaces strength.

When to have the knee checked

If the knee feels unstable, keeps aching on the inner side or swells after sport, have it examined. At Aman Hospital in Doha, Dr. Gelber checks the MCL and the other ligaments, since an ACL tear sometimes accompanies an MCL injury and changes the plan.