PCL Surgery Protocol

The PCL is the strongest ligament in the knee and provides a great amount of stability. It is the ligament that prevents the tibia from sliding too far backward. A tear in the PCL is rare because of its strength. However, if there is a tear in the PCL, then surgery is an option.

Cause/Symptoms

• The most common injury of the PCL happens when the knee is bent and there is a forceful blow to the shin, pushing it backward. The other common injury is mainly a sports injury when an athlete falls on the front of his knee. The knee is bent backward while the athlete's foot is pointing downward. These injuries can tear the PCL if the force is strong enough. The main symptoms of a PCL tear are knee pain, swelling and decreased motion. Someone with this injury may feel that the knee popped or gave out.

Facts

• PCL reconstruction entails four phases of rehabilitation. These four phases take at least 36 weeks to complete. Reconstructing a ligament means the ligament is replaced with tissue either from a donor or from another part of the body; the patellar tendon and hamstring are commonly choices for this procedure.

Outcome

• To have a successful recovery, it is important to follow the rehabilitation program designed to strengthen the muscles of the knee. The goals of the surgery and the rehabilitation phases are to protect the bones and tissue in the area, to keep the knee mobilized, to increase the range of motion, to progress in weight bearing, to restore any loss of motion, to improve functional strength and to safely and gradually return the patient to normal daily life and physical activities.