What is the most common mechanism of injury for a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament?
The ACL can be injured or torn in a number of different ways. The most common mechanism is that of a sudden pivoting or cutting maneuver during sporting activity, which is commonly seen in football, basketball and soccer. The ligament can also tear due to work injuries or automobile accidents.
What causes PCL rupture?
Causes of PCL Tears The knee is hit directly, especially during sports like soccer, rugby, and football. A person lands on a bent knee, such as during a fall or misstep. Landing directly on the front of the shinbone, such as when a dancer comes down from a leap and falls.
How do you rupture a PCL?
The PCL can also be torn in a car accident because a posterior force is applied to the tibia when the knee in a flexed position hits the dashboard. This can be combined with posterolateral ligament injuries if the anteromedial aspect of the knee strikes the dashboard with a varus force applied10).
Why is the ACL more likely to be injured than the PCL?
Why Is the ACL More Likely to Be Injured than the PCL? Of the four ligaments that comprise the knee, the ACL is the one that is most frequently torn or stretched. When the feet remain planted, but there’s a sudden rotation or twisting of the knee, the ACL is often stretched or torn to the point of injury.
What does the PCL connect to?
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is located inside the knee, just behind the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It is one of several ligaments that connect the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shinbone). The posterior cruciate ligament keeps the tibia from moving backward with relation to the thigh bone.
What are the symptoms for a PCL injury?
Symptoms of Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Tears
- Sharp or dull pain around the back of the knee.
- Swelling.
- Stiffness.
- Difficulty bearing weight.
- Knee instability.
- The back of the knee may be warm to the touch.
- Tenderness around the knee joint.
- Knee tingling or numbness.
What is PCL injury?
Your posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) runs along the back of your knee and connects your thighbone to the top of your lower leg bone. This ligament keeps your bones in place and helps your knee move smoothly. When the PCL is sprained or torn, it’s called a posterior cruciate ligament injury.
What is the function of the PCL?
The posterior cruciate ligament, located in the back of the knee, is one of several ligaments that connect the femur to the tibia. The posterior cruciate ligament keeps the shinbone from moving backward too far. It is stronger than the anterior cruciate ligament and is injured far less often.
How do you know if you tore your PCL?
Why are PCL injuries less common?
To a lesser extent, the PCL functions to resist varus, valgus, and external rotation forces. It is approximately 1.3 to 2 times as thick and about twice as strong as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and, consequently, less commonly subject to injury.
How common is a PCL tear?
How common are posterior cruciate ligament injuries? Posterior cruciate ligament injuries are far less common than ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears. In fact, PCL injuries make up less than 20% of all knee ligament injuries.
What movement does the PCL restrict?
The PCL is an important restraint of posterior tibial translation relative to the femur. In addition, the PCL acts as a secondary restraint to resist varus, valgus, and external rotation moments about the knee.