Nonoperative Treatment for Partial Ruptures of the Lateral Collateral Ligament Occurring in Combination With Complete Ruptures of the Anterolateral Ligament: A Common Injury Pattern in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes With Acute Knee Injury.

Background: Combined partial lateral collateral and complete anterolateral ligament (PLCCALL) injuries are a specific injury pattern seen in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) because of the knee varus-flexion mechanism that frequently occurs during grappling.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of this injury pattern in a series of BJJ athletes with an acute knee injury and to evaluate clinical and functional outcomes after nonoperative management at a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Our hypotheses were that PLCCALL injuries are common in BJJ and that nonoperative treatment is associated with excellent clinical outcomes and return to the preinjury level of sport.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: All BJJ athletes who presented with an acute knee injury between July 2013 and June 2017 and who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee were included. A specific emphasis was placed on identifying those whose imaging demonstrated PLCCALL injury. Clinical evaluation included physical examination as well as Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores.

Results: Of the 27 patients analyzed, 7 (25.9%) had MRI-proven PLCCALL injuries. The mean follow-up after nonoperative management was 41.3 months. The mean IKDC and Lysholm scores were 94 and 92 before the injury, 26 and 36 at the initial assessment after the injury, and 83 and 78 at 12-month follow-up, respectively ( < .00001). All 7 patients had returned to their preinjury level of sports by the 12-month follow-up. The mean time between injury and return to competition level was 4.7 months (range, 4-6 months).

Conclusion: PLCCALL injury is a specific but infrequent injury pattern in BJJ. The prognosis of this injury after nonoperative treatment appears to be excellent. Improved functional scores (IKDC and Lysholm) and changes on MRI demonstrated that the anterolateral ligament has intrinsic healing potential, as the images showed complete healing of the previously documented rupture of the anterolateral ligament from its proximal attachment.