Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury

Together with the other three main ligaments of the knee (the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the two collateral ligaments), the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) has the paramount function of providing stability to the knee joint, primarily preventing the posterior translation of the tibia on the femur and secondarily assisting in resisting varus, valgus and rotational forces. Compared to the ACL, the PCL is nearly twice as thick and strong, making it less prone to injuries. Due to its function and resilience, injuries to the PCL are typically due to high-energy impacts where an external force is applied to the tibia on a flexed knee position, such as during motor vehicular collision (classic dashboard injury), falling onto flexed knees, or during sports (e.g.: soccer, basketball, skiing, etc.) where a hyperextension mechanism (± rotation) is more commonly identified. Patients with an acutely injured PCL often report pain (typically in the posterior aspect of the knee), swelling, reduced mobility, instability and limited function. Ligament injuries are classified based on the severity of the reported damage on a 3-grade scale system. Grade I, often referred to as a sprain, is the mildest reportable injury, while grade III, characterised by a full-thickness tear, is the highest level of damage. As per every other condition, the management of these injuries depends upon the specific of the reported damage itself, however, due to its elevated intrinsic healing capacity, PCL injuries are often successfully treated non-surgically.