Abstract: Introduction: Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is stronger and less vulnerable to injuries than its anterior counterpart. Injuries to the PCL, either due to bony avulsion or intra-substance tears, if left untreated, can result in chronic pain, patellar degenerative changes and instability. The basic approach to manage PCL bony avulsion varies from open reduction and internal fixation to arthroscopic fixation with screws or sutures. Although both the approaches have their pros and cons, in this study, we present the results of open reduction and internal fixation with cannulated cancellous screws.
Material and Methods: The study group comprised of 18 patients (14 males and 4 females) with PCL avulsion injury between January 2013 to January 2018 who were operated at R L Jalappa hospital and followed up regularly with clinical and radiological assessment. The patient’s details and radiographs were collected from patient records in hospital medical record department. Patients were called for examination, and the functional and radiological status was noted. Functional assessment was done using Lysholm knee scoring system.
Results: Mean age of the patients was 39.2 ranging from 21 – 55 years. 3 patients had associated femur shaft fractures, while 2 patients had tibia fracture. The mean Lysholm score was 92.6 (87-96). Clinically, no symptoms of instability were evident, and no signs of PCL deficiency were present. Full range of movements was achieved in all the patients at last follow-up.
Conclusion: Posterior Cruciate Ligament avulsion treated with open reduction and internal fixation with cannulated cancellous screws using Burks and Schaffer approach gives excellent results with minimal morbidity.
