Clinics in diagnostic imaging (196). Complete PCL tear

ABSTRACT

A 21-year-old man presented with left knee pain and instability that persisted three months after a road traffic accident. Physical examination revealed a positive posterior drawer test. Anterior drawer and pivot tests were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee demonstrated a complete tear of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Recognition of the normal and injured appearances of the PCL is useful to aid the reader in the detection and characterisation of PCL injuries. Isolated acute PCL tears are usually managed conservatively. However, an active search for associated injuries is essential, as their presence may upstage the patients for surgical management.