How do you know if your PCL is injured?

How do you know if your PCL is injured?

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 is a positive sag test?

A positive sag sign is characteristic of PCL injuries and results when gravity pulls the tibia downward greater than 10 mm. Clinicians can also use the posterior drawer test to evaluate the injury. A positive drawer sign occurs if the patient’s tibia slides posteriorly.

What is positive posterior drawer test?

The examiner grasps the proximal lower leg, approximately at the tibial plateau or joint line with the thumbs placed on the tibial tuberosity. Then the examiner attempts to translate the lower leg posteriorly. The test is considered positive if there is a lack of end feel or excessive posterior translation.

What torn PCL feels like?

When the PCL is torn, active patients may develop a feeling of knee instability or pain. This instability or pain may limit an active lifestyle and may cause injury to other structures of the knee. Injury to the PCL is much less common than injury to the ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament.

What is a posterior sag test?

Posterior Sag Sign (Gravity Drawer Test) Tests for rotary instability posteriorly and/or torn PCL. In supine subjects hip and knee are flexed to 90°while the examiner supports the leg under the lower calf or heel in the air. A positive sign is a posterior sag of the tibia caused by gravitational pull.

What is a positive Lachman’s test?

A positive Lachman test or pivot test is strong evidence of an existing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, and a negative Lachman test is fairly good evidence against that injury.

What is a posterior test?

The posterior drawer test is performed with the knee flexed to approximately 80°-90°. For this test, it is essential for the knee to be relaxed in order to truly assess the amount of increase in motion that may be present. I usually do this by palpating the hamstring tendons to make sure they are relaxed.