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Covering sports injuries from the perspective of a certified athletic trainer and backed by analytics.

Understanding Joel Embiid’s LCL Sprain

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to sweep the Brooklyn Nets despite playing without the services of MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid for the closeout game. Embiid suffered a knee sprain in the team’s Game 3 win and his availability for Round 2 remains uncertain.

Since the completion of the series, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne has reported that Embiid suffered a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sprain of his right knee.

Sometimes referred to as the fibular collateral ligament, the LCL sits on the outside aspect of the knee, providing stability with side-to-side or lateral movement. The LCL is not as well-known as its counterparts the medial collateral ligament (MCL) or the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), likely because the force needed to overload the LCL occurs less frequently. In sports, the knee is often subjected to excessive amounts of valgus stress when a player awkwardly lands or after another player falls into the outer portion of an individual’s leg. This mechanism of injury transmits force through the inside portion of the knee and stresses the MCL. However, a force in the opposite direction, known as a varus force, is less likely to occur, making isolated LCL injury relatively uncommon, especially in the NBA.

That doesn’t mean LCL injuries do not occur, just that they often happen in conjunction with some other significant injury. For example, Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal hyperextended his left knee during the 1996-97 season and suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his LCL, a partially torn joint capsule, and an avulsion fracture. Current Cavaliers guards Danny Green and Ricky Rubio each damaged their LCL in conjunction with their ACL tears. 

Using the InStreetClothes.com/SMART Injury Database only two confirmed isolated LCL sprains have occurred in recent seasons and even these cases are more complex than they appear. Rodney Hood sprained his LCL during the 2016-17 season and missed just over three weeks of action. However, Hood did have an accompanying bone contusion. Former Rockets center Greg Smith sprained his LCL during the 2013-14 campaign and missed 31 days following the initial injury. Unfortunately, Smith would bounce in and out of the lineup for the remainder of the season with lingering pain and soreness and ultimately opt for surgery. 

The Sixers initially suggested they were bracing for a one-to-two-week absence though the situation remains fluid. Philadelphia may find themselves cheering for the Hawks, hoping they can further extend their first-round series with the Celtics. If Boston does manage to end things in five, Celtics-Sixers could be slated to start on April 29, nine days after Embiid injured his knee. Still, based on precedent and the LCL’s limited blood supply, it would not be surprising to see Embiid miss the start of Round 2.