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Posterior Cruciate Ligament

WHAT IS IT?

Located in the middle of the knee, the posterior cruciate ligament joins the external posterior part of the internal femoral condyle with the posterior inter-condyle region of the tibia. The posterior cruciate ligament impedes the displacement of the tibia in relation to the femur.

Injuries to this ligament, as with the anterior cruciate ligament, consist in excessive stretching or torsion which leads to its partial or total rupture.

CAUSES

Though the posterior cruciate ligament can be injured by hyperextension, the most common cause is a blow, or a fall on the bent knee, and high-energy accidents like the knee colliding with the dashboard in car accidents.

SYMPTOMS

The main symptoms in this type of injury, as with the anterior cruciate ligament, are clicking and pain at the moment of injury, and inflammation and instability thereafter.

TREATMENT

If the injury is neither severe nor unstable, it can be treated with conservative treatment as with the anterior cruciate ligament:

• Ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication during the acute phase.
• Rest from sport in the acute phase.
• Rehabilitation and muscle strengthening.

If the injury is serious, surgical treatment is preferred, combined with biological therapies using platelet-rich plasma  (PRP) p for the reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament. This technique is much like that used for injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament, but with logical differences in terms of the location of the bone tunnels due to the different anatomy of the posterior cruciate ligament.