Symptoms that may initially indicate a tear of the tibial collateral ligament include pain and hematoma on the medial surface of the knee. Complete rupture of the MCL ligament may be accompanied by an audible click, sharp pain, significant swelling, and a feeling of instability in the knee joint. The diagnosis of knee ligament injuries should be performed by an orthopedic surgeon, who may also detect other injuries during the examination, e.g. a rupture of the medial meniscus.

Rehabilitation mainly consists in manual preparation of the site where the MCL ligament fibers have been damaged. As a result, the resulting scar will be flexible and painless. Rehabilitation is also aimed at strengthening the muscles that actively stabilize the knee joint to reduce the risk of repeated ligament injury.

When the result of the MCL ligament injury is instability of the knee joint, which hinders daily activity, the aim is to repair or reconstruct the tibial collateral ligament. The procedure is also performed when the ACL anterior cruciate ligament or PCL posterior cruciate ligament are simultaneously ruptured. After the surgery, the patient must participate in the rehabilitation process to enable safe return to the desired level of activity or sports.