How To Deal With A Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury?
How To Deal With A Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury?
Knee injuries are of two kinds. One of them is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and the other one is the posterior cruciate (PCL) ligament injury. Though it is the anterior part which is the most vulnerable part and prone to more injuries, you may also suffer a tear in the posterior ligament leading to swelling and pain. Both the anterior and the posterior cruciate ligaments connect the femur to the tibia, or in simple terms, the thighbone to the shinbone. Bones are attached to each other in the human body through ligaments which join them and also help to move the parts. Here is all you need to know about what a posterior cruciate ligament injury is and how to deal with it.
What are the symptoms of a posterior cruciate ligament injury?
If you are experiencing pain in the knee after an injury, here are some of the symptoms that may suggest that it is a PCL injury.
• Pain- There may be pain in the knee while walking, and you find yourself limping.
• Instability- Along with pain, the knee might feel quite unstable if you try to stand or walk. It may feel like it is going to give away.
• Swelling- If the injury is severe, there may be swelling along with pain in the knee.
However, the signs and symptoms of posterior cruciate ligament injuries are generally mild if there are no other associated injuries. But the pain might get worse with time even if it does not give you much trouble initially. If you are suffering from severe symptoms, there are high chances of other associated injuries along with a PCL injury. A PCL injury can either be a partial tear or a complete tear making the knee unstable or a severe injury with other ligaments being damaged.
How is a PCL injury caused?
The posterior cruciate ligament is torn when the shinbone gets hit below the knee. Some causes of a PCL injury are:
• Falling down on the knee- if a person falls on a bent knee of right on the knee, there are possibilities of having injured the PCL.
• Car accidents- in case of a car accident, if the driver or the passenger hits the knee and the shinbone against the dashboard, the posterior cruciate ligament may tear.
• Sports- Any kind of sport may result in a posterior cruciate ligament injury if the player falls down on a bent knee as they hit their shinbone hard against the ground in case of such a fall.
How to treat a PCL injury?
• If the pain is troubling you while walking, it is recommended to get a physical or X-ray examination done by a doctor to detect the nature and extent of the injury and treat the torn ligament medically.
• Home treatments like icing the swollen part of the knee and compressing it, keeping the knee elevated in a rest position also helps in the recuperation. A pain-relieving medication may also be very helpful.
• After you are up on your feet again, wear a knee brace temporarily for a few days to support your knee and to prevent it from further injuries.
