PCL Injury Treatment
PCL tears from dashboard injuries, falls and contact sport. Bracing and quadriceps-led rehabilitation for most; arthroscopic reconstruction when needed.
The posterior cruciate ligament sits behind the ACL and stops the shin bone sliding backwards under the thigh bone. PCL injuries are far less common than ACL tears and, because the knee often stays walkable, they are missed more often — frequently written off as a bad bruise after a dashboard injury in a road traffic accident, a fall onto a bent knee, or a tackle in football or kabaddi.
A missed PCL injury does not usually announce itself with the knee giving way. It shows up years later as aching at the front of the knee going downstairs, and as early wear in the patellofemoral and medial compartments, because the joint has been loading abnormally the whole time. Dr. Nitin N Sunku assesses PCL injuries for what actually matters: the grade of laxity, whether other ligaments are involved, and whether the tear is isolated — because isolated PCL tears and multiligament injuries are entirely different problems.
Conditions We Treat
Isolated PCL Tear (Grade I–II)
Partial injury with mild to moderate posterior laxity, often after a dashboard impact or a fall onto the front of a bent knee. Pain at the back of the knee, swelling that is usually less dramatic than an ACL tear, and difficulty kneeling. Many patients continue walking, which is precisely why the diagnosis is delayed.
Complete PCL Tear (Grade III)
Significant posterior sag of the shin bone when the knee is bent to 90 degrees. Patients describe an unsteady knee on slopes, stairs and deceleration rather than the sharp giving-way of an ACL-deficient knee. Grade III injuries are more likely to involve additional structures.
Multiligament and Posterolateral Corner Injury
PCL tears combined with injury to the posterolateral corner, ACL, or collateral ligaments — typically higher-energy trauma, road traffic accidents, or a knee dislocation. These need urgent, thorough assessment including a vascular and nerve examination, and they are treated very differently from an isolated tear.
Chronic PCL Deficiency
An old injury presenting years later with front-of-knee pain on descending stairs, quadriceps weakness, and early degenerative change on X-ray. The question here is no longer only about the ligament — it is about what the abnormal loading has already done to the joint surfaces.
If you had a knee injury after a dashboard impact or a fall onto a bent knee and were told it was a sprain, but kneeling and going downstairs still feel wrong months later, that knee deserves a proper ligament examination.
Treatment Approach / Procedures Offered
Non-Surgical Management
Unlike the ACL, an isolated PCL injury of grade I or II often does well without surgery, and this is the mainstay of treatment. Management involves a period in a dedicated PCL brace that supports the shin bone forwards, protected weight-bearing, and — critically — a quadriceps-dominant rehabilitation programme, because a strong quadriceps actively compensates for the missing posterior restraint. Hamstring loading is deliberately controlled early, since the hamstrings pull the shin in the direction the injured ligament is meant to resist.
Arthroscopic PCL Reconstruction
Reconstruction is considered for grade III injuries, for PCL tears that remain symptomatically unstable despite a proper rehabilitation programme, for bony avulsions where the ligament has pulled a fragment of bone away, and for multiligament injuries. A graft is passed and fixed to recreate the ligament, arthroscopically assisted. PCL reconstruction is technically more demanding than ACL reconstruction, and the results are honestly reported as good rather than perfect — some residual laxity is common, and the goal is a functional, comfortable knee.
Bony Avulsion Fixation
Where the PCL has detached with a fragment of bone rather than tearing mid-substance, fixing that fragment back reattaches native ligament to native bone. This is one of the more satisfying PCL operations, and it is time-sensitive — the case for early surgery is much stronger here than for a mid-substance tear.
Addressing Associated Injuries
Posterolateral corner injuries left untreated are a recognised cause of PCL reconstruction failure. Where the corner is involved, it is addressed at the same operation. Meniscal and cartilage injuries found at arthroscopy are treated at the same sitting.
Why Choose Our Clinic
PCL injuries are commonly under-diagnosed because the knee still walks. Dr. Sunku’s sports medicine practice sees enough ligament trauma — road traffic injuries around Hosur Road and Electronic City, and contact sport injuries — to look for the pattern rather than settle for “knee sprain”. Just as importantly, the advice here is not surgical by default: most isolated PCL tears are managed with bracing and a quadriceps-led programme, and you will be told when that is the better path.
Recovery and Rehabilitation Overview
Week 0–6 (non-surgical)
PCL brace with the shin supported, protected weight-bearing, prone range-of-motion work to avoid posterior sag, and early quadriceps activation. Hamstring loading is intentionally limited.
Week 6–12
Brace weaned, gait normalised, and progressive closed-chain quadriceps strengthening. Cycling and swimming typically reintroduced. Most non-surgical grade I–II injuries feel substantially better by this point.
Month 3–6 (after reconstruction)
Strength and control work intensifies. Straight-line running begins once quadriceps strength and gait are adequate. Deep squatting and heavy hamstring loading are still restricted.
Month 6–9
Agility, deceleration and change-of-direction drills. Strength testing compares the operated leg against the other side before contact activity is discussed.
Month 9–12
Return to contact and pivoting sport after reconstruction, with clearance. PCL rehabilitation is deliberately slower than ACL rehabilitation — the graft is protected for longer.
Recovery differs sharply between an isolated tear managed in a brace and a multiligament reconstruction. Bracing protocols for the PCL are specific and are not interchangeable with a standard hinged knee brace bought off the shelf.
Where we see PCL Injury Patients
Raghava Multispeciality
Centred at Attibele, on Sarjapura–Attibele Road. Ideal for people in Anekal, Chandapura, Jigani, Bommasandra, and Electronic City.
In-person ReviewsHealth Nest Hospital
HSR Layout (24th Main, Sector 2). Convenient for HSR, Koramangala, BTM Layout, and Bellandur residents.
Follow-up VisitsPCL Injury FAQ
Book a PCL Injury Assessment in Bengaluru
A knee injured on a dashboard or in a fall onto the bent knee deserves a proper ligament examination rather than a label of “sprain”. Bring your MRI and any accident-time imaging.
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Get expert advice for PCL Injury Treatment today.
Locations
- • Raghava Multispeciality, Attibele
- • Health Nest Hospital, HSR Layout
Orthopedic and sports medicine care in Bengaluru
Dr. Nitin N Sunku is a consultant orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. His day-to-day work spans knee and shoulder arthroscopy, ACL and other ligament injuries, meniscus tears, cartilage-friendly repair options when suitable, hip and knee arthritis assessment, joint replacement when quality of life is clearly limited, fracture and trauma review, and spine symptom evaluation with a staged plan. Care is built around a clear history, a focused examination, imaging only when it changes management, and honest discussion of non-operative versus operative paths.
Where appointments take place
The practice is anchored at Raghava Multispeciality Hospital, Attibele, on Sarjapura–Attibele Road, for many patients travelling from Attibele, Anekal, Chandapura, Jigani, Bommasandra, Electronic City, Sarjapura, and nearby towns who want a South Bengaluru base close to home or work. Health Nest Hospital, HSR Layout (24th Main Road, Sector 2) supports selected consultations and follow-up for people who live closer to HSR, Koramangala, BTM Layout, Bellandur, or Whitefield-side commutes. Both sites link into imaging and physiotherapy networks when referrals are needed.
Conditions and procedures people commonly ask about
Typical questions cover ACL tears and post-injury instability, meniscus repair versus partial trimming, recurrent shoulder dislocation, rotator cuff tears and frozen shoulder, shoulder arthroscopy for impingement, tennis or golfer's elbow flare-ups, runner's knee and shin splints, Achilles and other tendon overuse problems, early to advanced hip and knee arthritis, partial and total knee replacement timing, hip replacement for arthritis and selected fractures, acute collarbone and ankle fractures, workplace and road traffic injuries, and back pain with or without leg symptoms when urgent red flags have been excluded. Sports medicine visits often blend training-load advice with targeted rehabilitation goals rather than rushing to surgery.
Before you attend
Bring photo ID, insurance cards if applicable, a concise list of medicines and allergies, old MRI or X-ray reports on phone or paper, and footwear or clothing that lets the knee or shoulder be examined. Write down three goals—for example, "sleep without waking from knee pain," "jog five kilometres without swelling," or "lift my child safely." Those goals help prioritise whether bracing, injections, structured physiotherapy, arthroscopy, or joint replacement is discussed first.
Using this website responsibly
Articles under the blog section explain common symptoms and treatment concepts in plain language. They are educational, may simplify complex decisions, and should always be confirmed in clinic after examination and, when needed, imaging. If you have severe deformity after injury, numbness or weakness in a limb, high fever with a hot swollen joint, chest pain, shortness of breath, or new bladder or bowel dysfunction with back pain, seek emergency care immediately rather than waiting for an outpatient slot.
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