Final answer:
An injury to the medial collateral ligament would not affect how the knee joint receives nutrients, but it would affect proprioception, response to physical stresses, and the injury response.
Step-by-step explanation:
An athlete with a severe injury to the knee's medial collateral ligament (MCL) will likely experience disruptions in several feedback mechanisms to the brain. However, the feedback mechanism related to how the joint receives nutrients will NOT be affected by this injury. The MCL is responsible for stabilizing the knee by preventing the leg from overextending inward, but it does not play a direct role in the vascular supply to the joint. Thus, the injury would affect the joint's movement and proprioception (how the joint moves and where it is in space), its response to compression or distraction (when the joint is compressed or distracted), and of course, the body's response to the injury itself (when the joint is injured). The question implies an understanding of the knee joint anatomy, including the relationship between the MCL and the medial meniscus, as highlighted by their common injuries.