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. Lock down PCL injuries in under 3 minutes. Hit follow for more NPTE wins.

Listen