Shedding light on the non-operative treatment of the forgotten side of the knee: rehabilitation of medial collateral ligament injuries-a systematic review.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review the current literature regarding the non-operative treatment of isolated medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries.

Design: Systematic review, registered in the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E9CP4).

Data sources: The Embase, MEDLINE and PEDro databases were searched; last search was performed on December 2023.

Eligibility criteria: Peer-reviewed original reports from studies that included information about individuals who sustained an isolated MCL injury with non-surgical treatment as an intervention, or reports comparing surgical with non-surgical treatment were eligible for inclusion. Included reports were synthesised qualitatively. Risk of bias was assessed with the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies. Certainty of evidence was determined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation.

Results: A total of 26 reports (1912 patients) were included, of which 18 were published before the year 2000 and 8 after. No differences in non-operative treatment were reported between grade I and II injuries, where immediate weight bearing and ambulation were tolerated, and rehabilitation comprised different types of strengthening exercises with poorly reported details. Some reports used immobilisation with a brace as a treatment method, while others did not use any equipment. The use of a brace and duration of use was inconsistently reported.

Conclusion: There is substantial heterogeneity and lack of detail regarding the non-operative treatment of isolated MCL injuries. This should prompt researchers and clinicians to produce high-quality evidence studies on the promising non-operative treatment of isolated MCL injuries to aid in decision-making and guide rehabilitation after MCL injury.

Level of evidence: Level I, systematic review.