Posterior Cruciate Ligament Research Paper

Improved Essays
The Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) is located in the knee behind the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). It is the strongest ligament in the knee and is important in knee stability. The two cruciate ligaments which cross each other to form an “X”, control the back and forth motion of your knee. A ligament is a tough, relatively inelastic band of tissue that connects one bone to another. As one of five ligaments in the knee, the PCL connects the femur to the tibia and prevents the tibia from sliding backwards. More specifically, the PCL helps to maintain proper alignment of the femur and tibia and keeps them in place so that it doesn 't slip over the femur and cause the knee to buckle, lock, or collapse. It also helps to prevent the tibia from twisting outwards.

The Knee is a very complex part of the body. With many ligaments, muscles and bones all in a single joint, it takes contributions from each component to create a functional knee. As mentioned before, there are five ligaments in the knee, posterior cruciate ligament, anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament and the patellar ligament. Bones that make up the knee are the femur, patella, tibia and fibula. Muscles surrounding the knee include the quadriceps, hamstrings, and
…show more content…
PCL injuries, which are not as common as ACL injuries, account for 20% of knee ligament injuries. This is because it is thicker and stronger than the other ligaments. They are also more difficult to evaluate than other ligament injuries in the knee and often times go undiagnosed. Many times a PCL injury comes with other injuries to other ligaments, bones and cartilage. It is often associated with ACL tears, MCL tears, LCL tears, meniscus tears, and articular cartilage damage. It can also be linked to posterior rotatory instability and knee

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Cryotherapy after a TKA Throughout the years we put a lot of stress on our body’s joints. As we age we may find certain joints start causing us a lot of pain and problems due to wear and tear on the body. The knee joint is one of those joints that tolerates a lot of wear and tear throughout the years due to holding a lot of body weight and the motions it performs on an everyday bases. As we start aging people start developing pain in the knee which can be caused be osteoarthritis or other issues. Once this occurs it is usually recommend to have surgery done on the knee to help alleviate the pain and gain ROM back into the joint.…

    • 1686 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    People get their ACLs torn in car crashes. A simple trip or fall that twists the knee can also result in a tear. Anyone can damage their ACL, but female gymnasts and soccer players are especially prone to ACL tears. There are several possible explanations for women being more vulnerable to ACL injuries, including differences in muscle strength, alignment, and estrogen levels that can loosen ligaments. There’s also some evidence that women are more likely than men to turn their knees inward when changing direction suddenly, placing added strain on their knees and…

    • 1528 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Torn Mcl Case Study

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Each individual will have different aspects to consider that will affect the final payment. The amount of health insurance coverage is the major contributor in the treatment program costs. What is a Torn MCL? An injury due to bending or changing directions can create a rip or tear in the medial collateral ligament or MCL. The MCL is located on the inner side of the knee; connecting the thighbone and the lower…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rectus Femoris

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The knee is a very crucial structure in the human body. It plays an extremely essential role in human movement. The weight that is put through the knee at one time can be over extravagant and the way it takes the weight and controls the body is truly unbelievable and fascinating. It carries the weight forwards and backwards while walking, and upward and downwards while jumping.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Acl Tears Research Paper

    • 2442 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The hamstrings and quadriceps are both used to stabilize the knee during a landing, but in women, the hamstrings are often much weaker in comparison to the quadriceps. This causes the knees of women to wobble in and out during a landing, thus causing ACL injuries (Swift 5). The other theory as to…

    • 2442 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The ACL is like a rubber band that holds your knee together enabling you to bend, jump, cut, and run. Without it, your knee could give out at any given time. The first time I experienced it, I was playing soccer in P.E. The second time I was playing volleyball. I had to have knee reconstruction surgery after both.…

    • 1470 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Your ACL is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. It is one of the four ligaments that stabilizes your knee so there is no excessive forward movement. The ACL also controls the twisting and rotation of your knee. So in other words, it is a pretty important part of your knee.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ACL tears happen to both men and women, but according to studies by the NCAA’s Injury Surveillance System “female athletes are as much as four times more likely to suffer ACL Injuries than their male counterparts” (Clardie). One of the most common beliefs as to why this happens is because women possess a different bone structure than men. Women almost always have a wider hip and pelvic structure than men; because of this, women experience increased stress on their knee compartments, ligaments, and muscles (Schmidt). Specifically, the angle at which the femur connects to the knee is wider than males, so women have pressure surrounding their ACL (Musgrave). Also, women have a tendency to have “valgus knees,” which means that women commonly have knees that angle in and touch one another when they are straightened.…

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Derrick Cowl Case Study

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Holding these bones together and providing movement and stability are the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) (“Knee Anatomy”). The top of the tibia is also covered by menisci acting mainly as shock absorbers (“Knee Anatomy”). As Cowl turned sharply to avoid being tackled, he felt a pop in his right knee. Following Cowl’s injury, an anterior drawer test, a Lachman test, and a pivot shift test were all performed. Through these tests, the trainer confirmed his suspicion of an ACL tear to the right knee.…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sports such like these are where we find the most athletes being treated for it, in which case the only real known cause of the injury is a direct blow or force. When the foot is planted in the ground and an opposing force causes the knee to twist in the wrong direction. With this unnecessary force, it causes three main structures of the knee to be torn. This injury does not have a gender bias to it. We find it in both males and females, but there is a more female dominance towards this injury.…

    • 1746 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Acl Injury Research Paper

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Injury The ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligament attaches from the front of the tibia to the back of the femur. It is an important ligament in which keeps the tibia from sliding too far forward in relation to the femur bone and provides stability to the knee joint in sagittal plane movements. Injuries to the ACL are very common in individuals who have the knee in an awkward position such as stopping suddenly while jogging or sprinting, a rapid change in direction, and an abnormal landing stance that leaves the knee joint locked. Your ACL can be injured if your knee joint is bent backward, twisted, or bent side to side.…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I myself have torn my ACL it is definitely not a good feeling. If you do tear an ACL it is recommended by Doctors all over the world to place ice on the knee to reduce swelling and tenderness of the knee. Also be sure to elevate the knee. Furthermore, the article titled "Knee Bracing: What Works?" by Family doctor Editorial Staff from familydoctor.org states "Knee braces are supports that you wear for a painful of injured knee. Some people use them to prevent knee injuries during sports.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Essay On ACL Injury

    • 2145 Words
    • 9 Pages

    ACL injuries are of the most intriguing sports injuries today due to their causes, recovery path, prevention methods, and how the injury has progressed in technology. The ACL is the center of much responsibility when it comes to the knee. The ACL runs across the knee joint, and keeps the shin from sliding forward, and provides stability when performing rotational movements. It is one of the many ligaments that holds the knee joint in place, and keeps the knee from buckling.…

    • 2145 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Brilliant Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 2007, more than 920,000 athletes under the age of 18 were treated in emergency rooms or doctor’s offices. If that doesn’t say something about the dangers of football. I’m not sure what will. II. Relating the topic to the audience: I bet most of you, if not all of you have watched or played football.…

    • 1017 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Acl Injury Case Study

    • 1448 Words
    • 6 Pages

    ACL injuries are more common in women than men, particularly for those women who are involved with jumping and pivoting sports (Anderson 2009). There are many factors and theories behind why women tear there ACL more than…

    • 1448 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays