Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury

Alternative names:

cruciate ligament injury - posterior; injury - knee - PCL; injury - PCL; injury - posterior cruciate ligament; knee injury - posterior cruciate ligament; PCL injury

Treatment:

Initial treatment of a PCL injury includes splinting, ice to the area, elevation of the joint (above the level of the heart), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), limit physical activity until the swelling is down, motion is normal, and the pain is gone. Physical therapy should be involved to help regain joint and leg strength. If the injury is acute, and/or you have a high activity level, surgery may be necessary; this may be either knee arthroscopy or "open" surgical reconstruction. Age has an effect on treatment; younger patients are more likely to have problems without surgery, as reattachment can be more difficult.

Expectations (prognosis):

When tissue is damaged, the body begins a healing process almost immediately by moving various cells and elements to the area necessary to rebuild, or replace the injured tissue. Certain types of tissue in the body such as ligaments and cartilage have little blood supply (vascularization) and subsequently, they take longer to heal than comparable injuries to other tissues that are more highly vascularized (such as skin). This means that the PCL injury could take from weeks, months, or years to completely heal.

Complications:

• weakness of the joint, making it more susceptible to reinjury
• chronic pain

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if symptoms of PCL injury occur.

Call your health care provider if you are being treated for PCL injury and you notice increased instability in your knee, if pain or swelling return after they initially subsided, or if your injury does not appear to be resolving with time.

Also call if you reinjure your knee.