Symptomatic Calcification within the Lateral Collateral Ligament of Knee: A Case Report on Rare Abnormality

Abstract

Introduction: Lateral collateral ligament calcification is a rare cause of knee pain. There are only a handful of case reports, and the findings are usually incidental and asymptomatic. The exact mechanism for calcific deposit remains unclear. We present a case of symptomatic calcification within the lateral collateral ligament treated by surgical enucleation. Case presentation: A 52-year-old active woman presented with complaints of pain over the lateral aspect of the left knee of 6 months’ duration. Her pain was severe, aggravated on descending stairs but relieved on rest. Clinical examination revealed tenderness over the lateral aspect of the knee joint. Standard standing anterior-posterior radiograph of the left knee revealed a homogenous dense opacity adjacent to the lateral femoral condyle. Conclusion: Calcification within the lateral collateral ligament is rare and treatment is determined by whether the patient is symptomatic or not. If symptoms of the patient cannot be alleviated with a conservative approach, we recommend a surgical enucleation of the calcification, which in our case had good results. Keywords: Calcification, Knee pain, Lateral collateral ligament