Cruciate - PCL diagnosis

Examination for anterior cruciate ligament laxity are likely to include -

• Posterior drawer test - with the patient in the position above, the surgeon pulls the tibia forward (the 'shinbone') (anterior drawer) and pushes it backwards (posterior drawer). Backward movement ('posterior translation') suggests PCL tear. This test is highly sensitive for isolated PCL tears.
• Sag sign - With the patient lying on his/her back and the hips and knees bent to 90 degrees, the examiner holds both heels. With PCL tears the affected leg 'sags' below the good leg.
• Reverse pivot shift test - the surgeon lifts the leg up and tucks the foot under his arm with the foot turned out and some inwards force on the side of the knee. As the leg is straightened a lax posterior cruciate ligament allows a sudden jerky movement in the joint - the 'pivot shift'. It is called a 'reverse pivot shift' because the manoevre is done in an opposite way to that for the more common ACL tear.

Special investigations might include -

• KT2000 test - this is an instrumented test, like the anterior drawer test but with an instrument doing the pulling.
• MRI scan - The cruciate ligaments can easily be seen on MRI scan, and a totally disrupted ('exploded') ligament is easily diagnosed. The problem comes when:
  • a ligament is not torn but has pulled off its attachment
    above or below. It is totally incompetent, but may look
    normal on MRI.
  • the sort of 'sheath' in which the cruciate glides is intact, but the ligament within it is totally torn. This may confuse the doctor and appear normal.