eMedicine Specialties > Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation > Lower Limb Musculoskeletal Conditions
Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Jul 10, 2008
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
Medial Collateral and Lateral Collateral
Ligament Injury
Meniscal Injury
Osteoarthritis
Prepatellar Bursitis
Tibial Plateau Fractures
Other Problems to Be Considered
Anserine bursitis
Quadriceps injury
Fibular head fracture
Gerdy tubercle avulsion
Workup
Laboratory Studies
Complete blood cell (CBC)
CRP
CMP
Imaging Studies
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. MRI is found to be 80% sensitive and 97% specific in the diagnosis of complete PCL tears. MRI can also yield information about the extent of the injury.3,6,7
- For direct visualization of the PCL, diagnostic arthroscopy can be performed.
Other Tests
If effusion is present, knee aspiration should be conducted to rule out causes of effusion other than posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury.
Procedures
After aspiration of the knee joint, injection with a steriod may be considered if oral medications are not effective in pain management.
Histologic Findings
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is composed of type I collagen. Electron microscopy has demonstrated that the mean fibril cross-sectional area decreases in diameter from the proximal to the distal portion of the PCL.
More on Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury |
| Overview: Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury |
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury |
| Treatment & Medication: Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury |
| Follow-up: Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury |
| References |
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References
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Further Reading
Keywords
posterior cruciate ligament injury, PCL injury, ligamentum cruciatum posterius, knee ligament, tibia, medial condyle, femur, hyperextension, knee laxity
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury