PCL versus ACL – Know your Knee Injuries

KT Tape clinicians and staff deal with a lot of knee injuries. Even if you haven’t experienced a knee injury yourself, you probably know someone who has.  And chances are, you’ve heard of ACL injuries.  But have you heard of the PCL, or Posterior Cruciate Ligament?

“Posterior cruciate ligament injury happens far less often than does injury to the knee’s better known counterpart, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The posterior cruciate ligament and ACL help to hold your knee together. If either ligament is torn, you may experience pain, swelling and a feeling of instability. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that attach one bone to another. The cruciate ligaments connect the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia). The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments form a cross in the center of the knee.   While 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 longer.”  — Mayo Clinic Staff Report

PCL injuries don’t get the same kind of attention as ACL injuries, and some people may not even realize they’re injured at first since they don’t feel the “pop” that comes with an ACL tear.   In fact, experts believe about 20% of all knee injuries involve the PCL, but go undiagnosed.  PCL tears are particularly common in contact sports such as football and soccer, and also in car accidents when the shin strikes the dashboard.  Men are also at a higher risk for PCL injury than women.  From the Mayo Clinic, here are the symptoms of a PCL injury, common medical treatments, plus lifestyle changes and home remedies that can help.

Filed under: Knee Pain | February 1, 2010
Tags :ACL , KT Tape , Mayo clinic , PCL