Two cases of medial knee pain involving the medial coronary ligament in adolescents treated with conservative rehabilitation therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This case study chronicled the assessment, treatment and management of two adolescent patients presenting with acute knee pain, diagnosed as medial meniscus tear, with or without a medial collateral ligament sprain, with coronary ligament involvement. CASES: Patient 1: A 16 year old male football player presented with right medial knee pain of 2 days duration after having been tackled during practice from the left side. Patient 2: A 16 year old female presented with right medial knee pain that began 1 week prior to presentation after a fall down the stairs. TREATMENT: Treatment was initiated in both cases using inflammatory control techniques of icing and fascial stripping and progressed to rehabilitative exercises including VMO (vastus medialis oblique) exercises and squatting exercises to strengthen the quadriceps femoris musculature and proprioceptive exercise. Rehabilitation occurred over a four week duration in both cases with progression of exercises on an individual basis. Both cases resolved within four weeks and return to normal activities resumed at the three week mark including a return to play in patient 1. Both patients reported complete resolution of symptoms at the four week mark with no recurrence on follow up a number of months later.
SUMMARY: Conservative management, including icing, fascial stripping, and rehabilitative exercises may be beneficial in the treatment of medial meniscus tears with coronary ligament involvement in adolescents.