jointsguruHello friends, we welcome you once again to the series of various videos related to orthopaedics. So friends, do you have PCL problem, or your PCL ligament is broken? And are you worried as to how to get this treated?
Then watch this video from start till end and you will understand all about what is PCL injury and how to get this treated. What is the best treatment and in how much time it is recovered. Thanks friends. Hello friends, we will welcome you once again to the series of videos related to orthopaedics, especially ACL and PCL. Friends, you will find a lot of videos related to ACL on YouTube, but not much information about PCL.
So, in today’s video, I want to give you information about what is PCL ligament. How it is broken and how it is recovered. What kind of surgery it involves and how it is different from ACL. Friends, Let me first tell you that in comparison to ACL, PCL ligament is quiet big and thick.
And this is the reason why out of 10 injuries in a month, 9 are of ACL and only 1 of PCL and this is why doctors don’t have much experience of PCL. Since our centre is quite famous for ACL, we normally get 10-12 cases of PCL too in a month. But I know of certain hospitals, where only 1-2 surgeries of PCL are done in the whole year. Friends, PCL surgery is very challenging. PCL ligament is found in the back side of our knees.
Its job is… As I had told you that the job of ACL is to prevent tibia moving ahead and the job of PCL is to prevent tibia to slide towards back side. This is the job of PCL. PCL injury happens when a patient is sitting and something hits him from front or if he is in a car and his knees hits against the dashboard or if he is playing and he falls down on his knees on floor. All this leads to PCL injury. In our language, such injuries are called Dashboard injuries. Now you can understand, that if this is the knee and injury happens this way, then PCL breaks from behind. In such cases, you will always find a mark of injury on the front side of the knee. This is an indication that the patient might have got PCL injury. However, it might not be the same in every case of PCL.
When a patient comes to us with PCL, there is a lot of swelling in his leg because, as I told you earlier, PCL ligament is very strong and doesn’t break easily. If PCL is broken then the injury is very very strong. In PCL, when patient gets X-Ray done, then nothing special is visible initially and the patient thinks that there is no problem.
And he slowly starts walking. After seeing the X-Ray, doctors also tell them not to worry and do all your work. But friends, I have noticed that when he tries sit in squatting position, which is very common in Indian scenarios or you sit for Namaaz, or Pooja and sit in fields for work.
Patient finds it very difficult, if the PCL is broken. When he tries to sit, the tibia bone is set from behind, die to which he is not able to sit in squatting position. You can imagine that if the bone is at the back like this, it will not help in sitting. So many people call me after 2-3 months saying that they have no problem in walking but when we try to sit in squatting position, we find it difficult. I understand from that point only that this can be a PCL injury. When these people get their MRI done. Friends, 3 Tesla MRI is the best. I will share you the link of why 3 Tesla MRI is better. When they get 3 Tesla MRI done, the reports shows Complete Grade 3 PCL Tear. Friends, as you all know about ACL that…
When there is ACL injury, then it does not get cured without operation. But this point is now completely true in case of PCL. As, PCL is a very big ligament…in many cases. Sometimes, its automatic healing is also witnessed. So, if there is PCL injury and there are not much symptoms with patient and there is not much problem, then we try waiting for 1-2 months too. We try that the PCL heals automatically. During this period, patient is given a special knee brace and to stop the sagging of tibia, we put a pillow below the leg to prevent tibia bone from sliding on back side. So, we given this special type of knee brace to the patient. Even after this the patient faces problems in climbing up and down the stairs and in running. Then we advise him for operation through arthroscope.
As I informed in the beginning of the video. PCL operation is not as simple as that of ACL. The reason is that PCL is found in the back side of the knee from where all the blood vessels and veins of our body passes through. These are very important structures. You can compare this with an electric pole where there are thousands of wires and you have to repair just one out of those and if you touch the wrong wire, it can create a lot of problems. Friends, this is the reason why PCL operation is not done in a lot of places for this a different kind of jig and other material is required, as compared to ACL. When PCL operation is done, it is done through arthroscope. There are no incissions and patient is given a knee brace post that patient starts walking from the very next day.
Its same as ACL in terms that here also no incissions are involved.
But when we talk about rehabilitation, we have to go a little slow, as compared to ACL and patient also needs to keep a special pillow below the leg for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, in ACL, we mostly take off the knee brace. But in PCL, knee brace is kept for extra time for protection or patient is advised to wear a knee cap. Within 2 – 2.5 months, patient starts walking normally. Their rehabilitation exercises are initiated.
And in 3-4 months, light jogging also can be started. We also witness injuries with ACL and PCL both, in many cases. As PCL is a very strong ligament, it is possible that when it breaks, few other ligaments break too. In such cases, we do not wait and do operation of ACL and PCL at the same time which is known as multi ligamental surgery. There is nothing to worry after the PCL ligament surgery. You can start running and other sports after 8-9 months. Some people may take a time till 12 months.
Friends, this was the information about PCL in brief. Along with PCL, sometimes ACL, MCL and lateral collateral ligament can also break. Sometimes, the whole knee of the patient gets dislocated and all the 4 ligaments break. Certain hospitals, in such cases, do stage operation, wherein in first stage, PCL and LCL is joined and in 2nd, ACL and MCL.
Sometimes, in our place, where there is a wonderful set up and everything is available at the same point. We perform surgery of 2-3 ligaments at a time too. Always keep in mind, if there is injury of both ACL and PCL, then PCL surgery is done first and ACL surgery is done either with it or after it. In no circumstances, ACL surgery should happen before PCL.
Friends, I want to give one more warning. In MRI, if it shows ACL tear, then you go to any small place for surgery thinking that this doctor is nearby …why to go far off!! Not trusting the YouTube videos, land up at any small doctor in their locality. It may happen, that the MRI report is wrong. You think that its ACL tear, but it can be PCL too. This happens with us once or twice a year. In such cases, it is always beneficial to get the operation done at a place where all equipments are available under one roof. Recently, a patient of Davvaiya had come to me, ACL tear was mentioned in his report. But when we saw through arthroscope, it was PCL tear. The good thing was, as I told you earlier, all equipments are ready with us. So, he was cured for PCL with the same expense. If he would have gone elsewhere, then the expenses might have been 1 to 1.5 lacs. So, always remember to choose a setup, where everything is available. Don’t rush to get cured in 2 or 3 days and avoid going to small hospitals for surgery. Wait for a few days, if you are not getting time during Corona. But it is always beneficial to get your surgery done through an experienced surgeon. Friends, this was a brief information about PCL ligament. Are you also having PCL injury? And worried about how to get it treated? You can contact me through WhatsApp on the below mentioned numbers. I will help you and guide you on how to get your PCL treated. Also please like, subscribe and share our channel.
If you want to buy our book related to ACL, then now it’s available on Amazon too or you can deposit money through WhatsApp and buy the book from me too. In this, 100 important questions related to ACL have been answered. After reading this, you will not have any doubt related to ACL.
And it also carries answers to PCL related questions. So friends, here was information about ACL and PCL. Be healthy, maintain social distancing; wear mask; Get yourself vaccinated, when your turn comes.
Thanks, friends…
