Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury
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PCL Injury (Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury)
Anatomy of the knee:
Two bones meet to form your knee joint: the thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). Your kneecap sits in front of the joint to provide some protection.
Bones are connected to other bones by ligaments. There are four primary ligaments in your knee. They act like strong, supportive ropes that help hold the bones together and keep your knee stable.
Collateral Ligaments. These ligaments are found on the medial and lateral sides of your knee. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside, and the lateral collateral ligament is on the outside. They are the ligaments which control the sideways motion of your knee and brace it against unusual movements.
Cruciate Ligaments. These types of ligaments are found within the knee joint. They cross each other to form an “X” with the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in the back. The cruciate ligaments control the forward and backward motions of the knee.
The PCL keeps the tibia from hyperextending, or moving back too far. It is stronger than the ACL and is injured less often. The PCL has two parts that blend into one structure that is about the size of a person’s little finger. Description:
Injuries to the PCL are not as common as other ligament injuries in the knee and are usually more difficult to evaluate than other ligaments.
Many times, PCL injuries occur along with injuries to other structures in the knee such as cartilage, other ligaments, and bone.
Injured ligaments are considered “sprains” and are graded on a severity scale of 1-3
1. Grade 1 Sprains. The ligament is mildly damaged, slightly stretched, and is able to keep the knee stable.
2. Grade 2 Sprains. The ligament is stretched enough that it becomes loose. This is considered a partial tear of the ligament.
3. Grade 3 Sprain. This type of sprain is often referred to as a complete tear of the
PCL Injury (Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury)
Anatomy of the knee:
Two bones meet to form your knee joint: the thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). Your kneecap sits in front of the joint to provide some protection.
Bones are connected to other bones by ligaments. There are four primary ligaments in your knee. They act like strong, supportive ropes that help hold the bones together and keep your knee stable.
Collateral Ligaments. These ligaments are found on the medial and lateral sides of your knee. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside, and the lateral collateral ligament is on the outside. They are the ligaments which control the sideways motion of your knee and brace it against unusual movements.
Cruciate Ligaments. These types of ligaments are found within the knee joint. They cross each other to form an “X” with the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in the back. The cruciate ligaments control the forward and backward motions of the knee.
The PCL keeps the tibia from hyperextending, or moving back too far. It is stronger than the ACL and is injured less often. The PCL has two parts that blend into one structure that is about the size of a person’s little finger. Description:
Injuries to the PCL are not as common as other ligament injuries in the knee and are usually more difficult to evaluate than other ligaments.
Many times, PCL injuries occur along with injuries to other structures in the knee such as cartilage, other ligaments, and bone.
Injured ligaments are considered “sprains” and are graded on a severity scale of 1-3
1. Grade 1 Sprains. The ligament is mildly damaged, slightly stretched, and is able to keep the knee stable.
2. Grade 2 Sprains. The ligament is stretched enough that it becomes loose. This is considered a partial tear of the ligament.
3. Grade 3 Sprain. This type of sprain is often referred to as a complete tear of the