Can a PCL tear heal on its own?

PCL injuries are usually partial ligament tears, and typically heal on their own, without causing stability issues, so long as the knee is protected during healing, and there are no other knee joint injuries.

What does PCL tear feel like?

When the PCL is torn, active patients may develop a feeling of knee instability or pain. This instability or pain may limit an active lifestyle and may cause injury to other structures of the knee. Injury to the PCL is much less common than injury to the ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament.

How long does a PCL tear take to heal?

The duration for a PCL injury also depends on the severity of the sprain, but typically full recovery is achieved between 4 to 12 months.

Where does your knee hurt with a torn PCL?

People who have injured the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of the knee often report a combination of the following symptoms: Sharp or dull pain around the back of the knee. This can occur immediately or develop in the hours or days after the injury. Swelling.

Is PCL tear worse than ACL?

The pain from an ACL tear usually will be more severe than that of a PCL tear. There also may be significant (or total) loss of range of motion of the knee. Swelling from an ACL tear tends to develop slowly, over the course of 24 hours.

Does a PCL tear require surgery?

There are both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) knee injuries. Surgery is typically only recommended for the most severe tears and for people who have multiple ligament injuries.

How do you fix a PCL tear?

PCL surgery involves using a graft to reconstruct the ligament. The graft can either be an autograft or allograft. Autograft. A piece of tissue from elsewhere on the person’s body, such as the patellar tendon.

Is a PCL tear serious?

A PCL injury can cause mild, moderate or severe damage.

Is PCL worse than ACL?

How serious is a PCL tear?