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Patients quickly resumed sports, had good clinical outcomes with nonsurgical PCL injury treatment
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CHICAGO — Patients with acute PCL injuries confirmed by MRI showed excellent return-to-play rates after they completed a nonoperative course of treatment, according to a presenter from the United Kingdom.
“PCL injuries treated nonoperatively have no medium-term problems,” Harry Benjamin-Laing, BSc(Hons), MBChB(Hons), MRCSEd, said in a presentation at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual meeting held here.
“They have good outcomes and high return to high-level sport,” he said of the group he and his colleagues studied.
The investigators prospectively reviewed 46 patients who underwent nonoperative management of acute PCL ruptures, which included bracing or rehabilitation with isometric quadriceps exercises as tolerated. They followed the patients 5 years, average, and reviewed 30 patients in the clinic, 12 patient by phone interview and four patients through the patient’s physiotherapist.
On average, patients returned to play at 10.9 weeks post-treatment. However, based on the study results, sprinters could not return to play until they completed an additional 6 weeks of rehabilitation after the initial rehabilitation.
Three patients required an arthroscopy for their chondral and meniscal problems.
“The PCL is not like the ACL,” Benjamin-Laing said. “It has excellent blood supply and supporting structures so the potential for healing is greater.”
Reference:
Laing H. Paper #372. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; March 19-23, 2013; Chicago.
Disclosure: Laing has no relevant financial disclosures.