The knee is a hinge joint that is responsible for weight-bearing and movement. It consists of bones, meniscus, ligaments, and tendons. The knee is fully designed to fulfill various amounts of functions, including the following:
- Provide enough stability.
- Helps to lower and raise your body.
- Allows twisting of the leg.
- Makes walking much more efficient.
- Supports the body in an upright position without the need for muscles to function.
The coronary ligaments of the knee are small, very fragile connective tissues that help create healthy interaction between all the tissues which make up the knee. By controlling the outward and inward movements of the knee, coronary ligaments help to ensure that the knee’s biomechanics are not awkward or damaging to its soft tissues. A coronary ligament strain is an often overlooked cause of medial knee pain and can cause significant pain and functional disability.
These ligaments are susceptible to disruption owing to trauma from a forced rotation of the knee, also because the medial portion of the ligament is most commonly damaged. Patients with coronary ligament strains develop symptoms over the medial joint and increased pain on passive external rotation of the knee.
Strains are also graded into three separate grades depending on the severity of the injury, such as:
- Grade 1 strain – Grade 1 includes mild or partial stretch or a tear of a few muscle fibers. The muscle is tender and painful but maintains its regular strength. The use of the leg isn’t impaired, and walking is normal.
- Grade 2 strain – Moderate stretch or tearing of a greater percentage of the muscle fibers. There is more tenderness and pain, noticeable loss of strength, and sometimes bruising. The use of the leg is noticeably impaired, and limping when walking is common.
- Grade 3 strain – Severe tear of the muscle fibers, sometimes a complete muscle tear. A popping sound may be heard or felt when the injury occurs. Bruising may be visible, and sometimes a dent in the muscle may be seen under the skin at the site of the tear. The use of the leg is extremely difficult and putting weight on the leg is very painful.