posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) function tests
Last reviewed 01/2018
posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) function tests
- posterior drawer test
- the patient is lying supine with the test hip flexed to 45 degrees, the knees flexed to 90 degrees and the foot in a neutral position
- examiner sits on the patient's foot and places both hands behind the proximal tibia with the thumbs on the tibial plateau o posterior force is applied to the proximal tibia
- increased posterior tibial displacement compared to the opposite (normal) side is indicative of a partial or complete PCL tear (1)
- Click
here for a video of posterior draw test
- posterior sag test
- patient is on supine position with the hips flexed to 45 degrees and the knee flexed to 90 degrees
- normally the medial tibial plateau extends 1 cm anteriorly beyond the femoral condyle in this position.
- in PCL rupture the tibia rocks or sags back on the femur in this position (1)
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