Treatment

Patients with PCL tears often do not have symptoms of instability in their knees, so surgery is not always needed. Many athletes return to activity without significant impairment after completing a prescribed rehabilitation program. However, if injury to the PCL results in pulling a piece of bone out of the top of the tibia, surgery is needed to reattach the ligament. Knee function after this surgery is often quite good.

The type of injury dictates the type of treatment you need. For minor PCL tears, the initial treatment includes rest, ice compression and elevation (RICE). Your physician may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. After the swelling subsides, you will need to follow a program of physical therapy to strengthen your quadriceps muscle and regain range of motion.

A partial tear of the PCL may or may not require surgical treatment. A complete tear is more serious. Complete tears, especially in younger athletes, may require reconstruction. The need for surgery depends on several factors:

• Age
• Activity level
• Other injuries, such as a collateral ligament or meniscal tear
• Effectiveness of exercising and the brace in stabilizing the knee
• General stability of the knee

PCL repairs are most often performed through arthroscopy. Patients often go home shortly after the operation, however, occasionally a brief hospital stay is required. Using arthroscopy, your surgeon removes the damaged PCL and replaces it with strong, healthy tissue taken from another area near your knee or a donated tendon from a tissue bank. Physical therapy may be prescribed following the surgery by your surgeon to regain motion and strengthen your knee muscles.