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Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Tear, Sports Medicine

Priscilla Tu, DO, FAAFP, FAOASM, DABMA and Briana Beach, DO Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Rupture of any or all parts of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of the knee (anterolateral portion and posteromedial portion) 

EPIDEMIOLOGY

Incidence

  • All knee injuries in general p...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • “Dashboard injury”: traumatic injury often seen in motor vehicle accidents, with posteriorly directed force to the anterior proximal tibia in a flexed knee 1

  • Similar mechanism to prece...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Acute treatment:

    • Ice

    • Compression

    • Elevation

  • Immobilization:

    • Partial weight-bearing

    • Possible immobilization in full extension for grade 3 lesions

ISSUES FOR REFERRAL

  • Early orthopedic r...

ONGOING CARE

COMPLICATIONS

  • Nonoperative:

    • Chronic PCL laxity

    • Progressive medial compartment and patellofemoral degenerative changes

    • Increased risk of meniscal tears, articular cartilage injury with chronic...

REFERENCES

1
Wind WMJr, Bergfeld JA, Parker RD. Evaluation and treatment of posterior cruciate ligament injuries: revisited. Am J Sports Med.  2004;32(7):1765–1775.
2
McAllister DR, Petrigliano FA. ...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Ahn JH, Lee SH, Choi SH, et al. Evaluation of clinical and magnetic resonance imaging results after treatment with casting and bracing for the acutely injured posterior cruciate lig...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Posterior drawer is the most sensitive and specific test for PCL. If it shows >10 mm of posterior translation, have a high suspicion for posterolateral corner injury 4.

  • In isolated g...

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