PCL Tear
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is one of the major ligaments in the knee joint that connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia). PCL injuries can occur due to various reasons, such as
- Road traffic accident – A dashboard injury when the driver or passenger hits his bent knee against the dashboard, pushing the leg bone (TIBIA) and causing the PCL tear.
- Contact sports – Players who plays sports like football, hockey are more prone to have a PCL injury when they turn on a bent knees with their foot pointed down. Also during the tackling with knee bent can result in PCL injury.
Symptoms
Symptoms of PCL injury include
Pain – Mild to moderate pain following an injury can cause difficulty in walking.
Swelling– Some swelling occurs immediately after the injury
Instability– Your knee may feel loose, a feeling of giving away is experienced after the PCL tear.
Diagnosis
The surgeon will clinically examine your knee and perform some special tests to confirm the PCL injury
Also an MRI will be done that will clearly show a posterior cruciate ligament tear and determine if other knees structures like meniscus or cartilage are also injured.
Treatment
There are different surgical techniques used for PCL injuries, depending on the severity and nature of the injury. Some of the common arthroscopic procedures for PCL injuries include: PCL Repair: In some cases, when the PCL is only partially torn or avulsed (pulled off the bone), it can be repaired by reattaching it to its original location using sutures or anchors. PCL Reconstruction: When the PCL is completely torn or significantly damaged, reconstruction is often required. During reconstruction, a graft is used to replace the damaged ligament. The graft can be taken from the patient's own hamstring tendon, quadriceps tendon, or from a donor source (allograft).
