[Fresh rupture of the inner ligament of the knee joint. An analysis of a sports traumatologic patient sample from 1981 to 1987].

Acute injuries of the medial collateral ligament occur either isolated or in combination with lesions of the cruciated ligament and medial meniscus. 126 patients were investigated retrospectively and special attention was drawn to the distribution and kind of ruptures. All distal lesions of the ligament and the most of intraligamental ruptures were combined with injuries of the anterior cruciated ligament and posterior portion of the medial meniscus. On the contrary the more favourable proximal lesions were found "isolated" as well. But in these cases an elongation of the ligamentum popliteum obliquum and a dischargement of the posterior parts of the medial meniscus were common. True isolated lesions of the medial collateral ligament were found if only the deep ligamental layers were involved. Special attention is drawn to the large variety of surgical possibilities.