Posterior Cruciate Ligament Pathology eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of the knee has been the subject of many debates. The role of the PCL has become a topic of interest across the subspecialties of trauma, sports medicine, and knee arthroplasty. What, if any, treatment is required for a PCL-deficient knee is still a widely debated topic. The consequences of an isolated PCL injury are poorly understood. PCL reconstruction has been advocated to restore knee kinematics to normal, which decreases the perceived risk of early degenerative joint disease. Although the development of early degenerative disease is controversial and has not been proven with clinical studies, the ability to restore normal knee kinematics with PCL reconstruction has also not been demonstrated in vivo. Thus, the PCL continues to be a topic of research and debate.
Synonyms and related keywords: PCL, PCL tear, PCL rupture, PCL injury, knee ligament, knee injury, posterior drawer test, dial test, ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, MCL, medial collateral ligament, knee pain, knee arthroplasty, PCL-deficient knee
Lawless & Andrisani 2005