How long does PCL take to heal?

Recovery time can vary from person to person. If your injury is mild, it may only take about 10 days to heal. If you’ve had surgery to repair your PCL, recovery could take about six to nine months.

What does a buckled PCL mean?

PCL buckling can be observed in cases of acute or chronic ACL tears. Some studies associated sigmoid or curved appearance of the PCL more with chronic than acute ACL tears4).

How do you treat a PCL injury?

Treatment of a PCL Tear 1 Initial treatment of the pain and swelling consists of the use of crutches, ice, and elevation. Once these symptoms have settled, physical therapy is beneficial to improve knee motion and strength. Nonoperative treatment is recommended for most grade I and grade II PCL tears.

What is the purpose of the PCL?

The PCL functions as one of the main stabilizers of the knee joint and serves primarily to resist excessive posterior translation of the tibia relative to the femur. The PCL also acts as a secondary stabilizer of the knee preventing excessive rotation specifically between 90° and 120° of knee flexion [16].

What is meant by buckling?

In structural engineering, buckling is the sudden change in shape (deformation) of a structural component under load, such as the bowing of a column under compression or the wrinkling of a plate under shear.

How do you injure your PCL?

The PCL is usually torn by a direct blow to the front of the upper part of the tibia with the knee in a bent position. In football, this may happen when a running back’s knee lands directly on the turf. Damage to the PCL is often the result of dashboard-type injuries in motor vehicle accidents.

Can I run with torn PCL?

You should return in moderation, and back off if you feel any pain. A typical surgery patient may be able to ride a bike at three months, start running at five to seven months, and return to competitive sports after eight to 12 months. Full recovery may take up to two years.

When is PCL surgery necessary?

Generally, surgery is only recommended for those who have grade III PCL tears, multiple ligament injuries (such as a PCL and ACL tear), and knee instability that has not responded to nonsurgical treatment.

What is the difference between an ACL and a PCL injury?

The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments form an “X” in the center of the knee. Although a posterior cruciate ligament injury generally causes less pain, disability and knee instability than does an ACL tear, it can still sideline you for several weeks or months. Signs and symptoms of a PCL injury can include: Pain.

What does it mean for a PCL to be buckled?

Buckling means it is not in a standard configuration, usually caused by a traumatic injury or instability from a damaged acl. Normally repairing the acl corrects the pcl without any additional procedures.

What are the signs and symptoms of a PCL injury?

Signs and symptoms of a PCL injury can include: 1 Pain. Mild to moderate pain in the knee can cause a slight limp or difficulty walking. 2 Swelling. Knee swelling occurs rapidly, within hours of the injury. 3 Instability. Your knee might feel loose, as if it’s going to give way.

What are the features of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears?

Three mechanisms of injury have been proposed 2: Features of posterior ligament tears include 1,2 : PCL tears may result in chronic instability and early degenerative change 2 . 1. Rodriguez W, Vinson EN, Helms CA et-al. MRI appearance of posterior cruciate ligament tears.