Non-operative treatment of acute medial collateral ligament lesions of the knee joint.

From 1985 to 1990 102 patients with isolated lesions of the medial collateral ligament of the knee were managed non-operatively with early protected motion and physical therapy. Eighty-six returned to a follow-up examination. The mean follow-up time was 44.2 months. The knees were stable in all but two cases and showed good or excellent results. Ninety-seven percent of the patients returned to their earlier activity level.