Knee & Leg
PCL Sprain
Also called: Posterior cruciate ligament injury
Injury to the knee's backward-stabilizing ligament — the 'dashboard injury' (knee striking the dash) or a fall onto a bent knee. Less common and less dramatic than ACL tears; most isolated PCL injuries are treated without surgery, with quad strengthening as the star of rehab.
Common signs
- Vague deep knee pain after a front-of-shin impact
- Swelling milder than ACL injuries typically
- Discomfort with deceleration, downhill walking, or kneeling
- Sometimes just a 'not right' feeling rather than instability
Seek help now if
- Multi-ligament patterns, gross instability
- Vascular signs after high-energy trauma (dashboard injuries can injure vessels — get assessed)
- Locked knee or fracture signs
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Get examined — PCL injuries are the most missed knee ligament injury because symptoms are subtle
- Early phase avoids loaded deep knee bending and isolated hamstring work (both stress the healing PCL)
- Quad strengthening begins immediately — the quads actively substitute for the PCL
If it's become chronic
- A dedicated quad-dominant program over ~3 months manages most isolated tears
- Grade 3 or combined injuries: MRI and specialist consult
- Long-term: maintain quad strength; monitor for later kneecap-compartment wear with high-grade laxity
Natural healing options we use
- Progressive quad-centric rehabilitation
- Manual therapy and chain-mechanics chiropractic care
- Attended e-stim for quad recruitment
- Standard tissue-repair nutrition support
About imaging
MRI confirms grade and associated injuries; stress X-rays quantify laxity in select cases.
Daily self-care
- Prioritize quad work daily as prescribed
- Avoid deep loaded flexion early
- Downhill and deceleration return gradually
More in Knee & Leg
Knee OsteoarthritisPatellofemoral Pain SyndromePatellar TendinopathyACL Sprain / TearMCL SprainMeniscus TearIT Band SyndromeBaker's Cyst
Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.