Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury

DR. ONG KEE LEONG

Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury

While a PCL injury can significantly inhibit movement and disrupt your daily tasks, it is generally treatable, even without surgery. It is crucial to consult an orthopaedic specialist as early as possible to avoid complications later on.

What is Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury?

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is one of the four main ligaments that provide stability in your knee joint. The PCL is located in the back of your knee joint and connects the thigh bone to your shinbone.

A PCL injury is a rupture of the ligament tissues that connect the shinbone and the thigh bone. PCL injuries are less common compared to other knee ligament injuries.

Grades of PCL Injuries

1st Grade: Stretched but not torn PCL or microscopic tears
2nd Grade: Partially torn with moderate symptoms (partial knee instability)
3rd Grade: Completely torn PCL with severe symptoms (extreme knee instability)

How Do You Know If You Have a PCL Injury?

Knee stiffness
Sharp pain in the knee when moving
Decrease in range of motion
Minimal swelling of the knee joint
The feeling of instability in the knee

How Do PCL Injuries Happen?

A violent and direct blow to the knee while it is bent
Falling while the knee is bent
An automobile accident where the knee strikes against the vehicle’s dashboard

How Are PCL Injuries Diagnosed?

A knee specialist will conduct a physical examination of your knee, which includes several motion tests to check for your knee’s stability, range of motion and any signs of pain.

Further imaging tests such as an x-ray or MRI scan may be performed to determine the severity of your injury and identify any other damages in your knee.

How Are PCL Injuries Treated?

Non-Surgical Options

If only your PCL is injured, non-surgical treatment options are generally adequate to promote healing (especially for less severe PCL tears).

Some of these treatment options include:

Resting your knee
Applying ice to your knee helps to reduce swelling
Compressing your knee using an elastic bandage
Elevating your knee above your heart
Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Physical therapy

Surgical Option

Surgery is rarely performed on PCL injuries due to the technical difficulty of the surgery. This is because of the location of the PCL in the knee. However, surgical reconstruction of the PCL may be required for severe PCL tears (Grade 3) or if you have suffered other ligament damages apart from a torn PCL.

Surgical reconstruction of the PCL is a minimally invasive procedure that involves inserting a small, thin camera (arthroscope) into the knee through tiny incisions. Your surgeon will be able to inspect your torn PCL clearly.

Why Do Patients Choose
Dr Ong Kee Leong?

Dr. Ong Is Passionate In Sports, Giving Him A Deep Understanding Of Sports-Related Injuries And How They Can Be Treated
Personalised And Professional Approach To Deliver High-Quality Orthopaedic Care Based On The Most Up-To-Date Literature
Fellowship Trained Surgeon With 15 Years Of Experience In Orthopaedic Conditions
Detailed Aftercare Plan To Ensure Smooth, Long-Term Recovery
Problem-Oriented, Well-Organised & Individualized Treatment Plans Catered To Your Specific Needs
Specialist In The Management Of Sports Injuries & Degenerative Conditions Of Shoulder & Knee Joints
Knowledgeable and pleasant clinical staff to assist you with your every need detailed aftercare plan
Our Care Is Conveniently Accessible At Mount Elizabeth Novena and Farrer Park Hospital
Minimal Waiting Time For Initial Consultation
Assistance With Medical Claims (e.g. Medisave & Integrated Shield Plans)

“At our clinic, we generally try to explore non-surgical treatment such as activities modification, physiotherapy and orthotics before recommending invasive intervention options.”

DR ONG KEE LEONG

About Dr. Ong Kee Leong

Senior Consultant, MBBS (Singapore), MMed (Ortho), FRCSEd (Ortho)

Dr. Ong Kee Leong is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon. He subspecializes in shoulder and knee, foot and ankle, hand wrist and elbow surgeries, arthroscopic sports surgery, and the management of sports-related injuries.

He has been registered with the Singapore Medical Council as a specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery since 2011.

MBBS, National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Medicine 2001
Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh 2007
Master of Medicine in Orthopaedic Surgery (NUS) 2007
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Orthopaedic Surgery 2011
Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Scholarship, Ministry of Health 2012-2013
Sports Surgery and Arthroscopy in Germany (Hannover)
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian School Of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University
Senior Clinical Lecturer, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS

Read full bio

Billing & Payment

Consultation fees are charged based on length of consultation,
and start from SGD$150 (within 30 minutes).

Modes of Payment

We accept the following modes of payment:

Cash
PayNow & PayLah
All major Credit Cards

If you are insured and would like to use a Letter of Guarantee (LOG) from the major insurers in Singapore, please contact us and our friendly clinic staff will assist you and provide more information if required.

Can I Claim Through My Medisave Account? (For Singaporeans and PR)

Yes, you can. Our Clinic is an accredited day surgery clinic by the Ministry of Health. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents may use their Medisave for eligible orthopaedic inpatient procedures and hospitalizations.

The exact amount would depend on the complexity of the procedure. If you have any enquiries, feel free to speak to our friendly clinic staff about using your Medisave account.

Integrated Shield Plans (Singaporeans and PRs)

Yes, patients who have purchased Integrated Shield plans with riders for co-insurance and deductibles will be able to use them in our clinic for eligible procedures. For more information, contact us to find out if your procedure is claimable.

The 6 Approved Integrated Shield Insurers are: