Dr. Harner describes the most common causes of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears.
Dr. Harner:
The most common thing we see is an isolated PCL tear, and the mechanism that usually occurs that the patient or athlete falls down directly on to their knee just below the kneecap and it pushes the tibia back. That can also happen in a car; we call it a dashboard injury, but that’s the most common way to injure the PCL.
We also see it in severe knee ligament injuries of PCL be torn, we get a dislocated knee, and that’s where the ACL, PCL, and one of the collateral ligaments tears, and those are devastating injuries.
About Dr. Harner, M.D.:
Dr. Christopher D. Harner, M.D., is a Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania Professor, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Medical Director, and works in the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Visit Dr. Harner at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine