Posterior Cruciate Ligament Tears

The Posterior Cruciate Ligament contols how far backwards the tibia will bend in relationship to the femur. In other words it controls how far in the opposite direction it should bend. Most commonly, the Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury is received from a direct collission to the front of the knee when it is bent. The Posterior Cruciate Ligament is not the only ligament susceptive to injury when the knee is hit with brute force. It is also not unusual for a total blowout, where ligament is torn as well as meniscus and cartilage. 

The Posterior Cruciate Ligament is actually located outside the knee joint, which means swelling from torn blood vessels in the ligament will not necessarily fill the joint with blood. This opposite is true with the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. While it may only take two to four weeks for the pain to subside, the instability can be prolonged for longer. As with an ACL injury, the instability if left untreated can develop in to arthritis. An MRI scan can confirm whether or not the tear is in fact the Posterior Cruciate Ligament.