PCL Injury in Under 3 Minutes: NPTE Breakdown

PCL Injury — NPTE Cheat Sheet

• What it is:
• Injury to the posterior cruciate ligament from excessive posterior translation of the tibia — often from dashboard impact or falling on a flexed knee.
• Classic signs:
• Posterior sag sign
• Posterior knee pain
• Difficulty descending stairs
• Instability (less dramatic than ACL)
• Dashboard injury mechanism
• Rule-in test:
• Posterior Drawer Test (NPTE’s favorite)
• Rule-out clues:
• Immediate swelling → ACL
• Locking/catching → Meniscus
• Medial tenderness → MCL
• NPTE trap:
• “Dashboard injury” = PCL. Never ignore it.
• Best treatment:
• ROM, quad strength, avoid early hamstring loading.
• Mock question included: Yes.

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