28/05/2026
What happens when an MCL injury doesn’t heal quite as expected?
In this video, Chris Myers from Complete Physio uses diagnostic ultrasound to assess the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) alongside a Pellegrini-Stieda lesion - a post-traumatic calcification that can develop after an avulsion injury at the ligament’s attachment on the medial femoral condyle.
Often referred to as a Pellegrini-Stieda fracture or Stieda fracture, this type of injury occurs when a small piece of bone is pulled away at the MCL origin.
If healing is incomplete, calcification or ossification can remain within the ligament tissue.
Ultrasound imaging allows us to assess ligament structure, healing response and associated calcification dynamically in clinic, helping to guide accurate diagnosis, rehabilitation and return-to-sport planning.