How can you tell the difference between an ACL and a PCL tear?

Injuries to the PCL typically occur when the tibia is hit by an outside force while the leg is bent. One big difference between PCL and ACL tears is that most PCL tears are only partial tears, whereas the ACL usually completely tears.

What is ACL anatomy?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band of dense connective tissue which courses from the femur to the tibia. The ACL is a key structure in the knee joint, as it resists anterior tibial translation and rotational loads.

What is ACL and PCL?

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament within the knee. Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that connect bones. The PCL — similar to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — connects the thigh bone (femur) to your shin bone (tibia). Although it is larger and stronger than the ACL, the PCL can be torn.

How does MRI show ACL tear?

As we start to move more posterior we look for bone bruising and we start to see a stump of a torn ACL. Instead of seeing normal contour of the dark ACL substance, we start to see more a balled-up appearance. In this view we can also see the injury to the posterior horn of the medial meniscus.

What does a torn PCL look like on an MRI?

The PCL is usually injured as the result of stretching deformation; on MRI, the ligament maintains continuity as a single structure with apparent thickening. On sagittal T2-weighted images, an anteroposterior diameter of 7 mm or more is highly suggestive of a torn PCL.

How do you diagnose a PCL tear?

PCL Tear Diagnosis

  1. X-rays: These may be ordered to make sure there are no fractured bones in your knee.
  2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): With an accuracy rate of nearly 90 percent, MRI is an effective tool for determining whether the PCL is torn and, if so, the extent of the damage.

Where do the ACL and PCL attach?

The PCL and ACL are intracapsular ligaments because they lie deep within the knee joint. They are both isolated from the fluid-filled synovial cavity, with the synovial membrane wrapped around them. The PCL gets its name by attaching to the posterior portion of the tibia.

What is the role of the PCL?

The PCL functions as one of the main stabilizers of the knee joint and serves primarily to resist excessive posterior translation of the tibia relative to the femur. The PCL also acts as a secondary stabilizer of the knee preventing excessive rotation specifically between 90° and 120° of knee flexion [16].

What is worse ACL or PCL?

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.

Can you tear ACL and PCL?

While the PCL is larger and even tougher than the ACL, and therefore less commonly injured, it can also be torn. Typically, this happens after a blow to a bent knee – by falling awkwardly in sport, for example, or by striking the area under the steering wheel during a car accident.

Why is MRI best for ACL tear?

In summary, diagnosis of ACL injury using MRI has high accuracy and good consistency with arthroscopic diagnosis. It can provide reliable guidance for the selection and formulation of clinical surgery plans, and can be used as the first choice for the non-invasive diagnosis of ACL injury.