DR. ONG KEE LEONG
Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury
While a PCL injury can significantly inhibit movement and disrupt your daily tasks, it is generally treatable, even without surgery. It is crucial to consult an orthopaedic specialist as early as possible to avoid complications later on.
Book AppointmentHow Do PCL Injuries Happen?
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is one of the four main ligaments that provide stability in your knee joint. The PCL is located in the back of your knee joint and connects the thigh bone to your shinbone.
A PCL injury is a rupture of the ligament tissues that connect the shinbone and the thigh bone. PCL injuries are less common compared to other knee ligament injuries.
Grades of PCL Injuries
- 1st Grade: Stretched but not torn PCL or microscopic tears
- 2nd Grade: Partially torn with moderate symptoms (partial knee instability)
- 3rd Grade: Completely torn PCL with severe symptoms (extreme knee instability)
How Do You Know If You Have a PCL Injury?
- Knee stiffness
- Sharp pain in the knee when moving
- Decrease in range of motion
- Minimal swelling of the knee joint
- The feeling of instability in the knee
How Do PCL Injuries Happen?
- A violent and direct blow to the knee while it is bent
- Falling while the knee is bent
- An automobile accident where the knee strikes against the vehicle’s dashboard
How Are PCL Injuries Diagnosed?
A knee specialist will conduct a physical examination of your knee, which includes several motion tests to check for your knee’s stability, range of motion and any signs of pain.
Further imaging tests such as an x-ray or MRI scan may be performed to determine the severity of your injury and identify any other damages in your knee.
How Are PCL Injuries Treated?
Non-Surgical Options
If only your PCL is injured, non-surgical treatment options are generally adequate to promote healing (especially for less severe PCL tears).
Some of these treatment options include:
- Resting your knee
- Applying ice to your knee helps to reduce swelling
- Compressing your knee using an elastic bandage
- Elevating your knee above your heart
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Physical therapy
Surgical Option
Surgery is rarely performed on PCL injuries due to the technical difficulty of the surgery. This is because of the location of the PCL in the knee. However, surgical reconstruction of the PCL may be required for severe PCL tears (Grade 3) or if you have suffered other ligament damages apart from a torn PCL.
Surgical reconstruction of the PCL is a minimally invasive procedure that involves inserting a small, thin camera (arthroscope) into the knee through tiny incisions. Your surgeon will be able to inspect your torn PCL clearly.
Why Do Patients Choose Dr Ong Kee Leong?
- Dr. Ong Is Passionate In Sports, Giving Him A Deep Understanding Of Sports-Related Injuries And How They Can Be Treated
- Fellowship Trained Surgeon With 15 Years Of Experience In Orthopaedic Conditions
- Personalised And Professional Approach To Deliver High-Quality Orthopaedic Care Based On The Most Up-To-Date Literature
- Detailed Aftercare Plan To Ensure Smooth, Long-Term Recovery
- Problem-Oriented, Well-Organised and Individualized Treatment Plans Catered To Your Specific Needs
- Specialist In The Management Of Sports Injuries And Degenerative Conditions Of The Shoulder And Knee Joints
- Knowledgeable And Pleasant Clinical Staff To Assist You With Your Every Need Detailed Aftercare Plan To Ensure
- Our Care Is Conveniently Accessible At Mount Elizabeth Novena and Farrer Park hospital
- Minimal Waiting Time For Initial Consultation
- Assistance With Medical Claims (e.g. Medisave & Integrated Shield Plans)
“Moving your body the way nature intended is a freedom not well appreciated until it is lost. We are passionate about getting you back in the game, and staying in the game. My team and I are fully committed to returning you to the life and activities you love.”
Dr. Ong Kee Leong
Featured In:
About Dr. Ong Kee Leong
Senior Consultant, MBBS (Singapore), MMed (Ortho), FRCSEd (Ortho)
Dr. Ong Kee Leong is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon. He subspecializes in shoulder and knee, foot and ankle, hand wrist and elbow surgeries, arthroscopic sports surgery, and the management of sports-related injuries.
He has been registered with the Singapore Medical Council as a specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery since 2011.
- MBBS, National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Medicine 2001
- Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh 2007
- Master of Medicine in Orthopaedic Surgery (NUS) 2007
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Orthopaedic Surgery 2011
- Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Scholarship, Ministry of Health 2012-2013:
- Sports Surgery and Arthroscopy in Germany (Hannover)
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian School Of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University
- Senior Clinical Lecturer, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Awards & Teaching
- Dr. Ong had received numerous awards such as Best Service and Eastern Health Alliance Caring (Gold) Awards.
- He also has an interest in clinical research and has written papers in multiple peer-review journals. As a Core Faculty of Singhealth Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program, he oversees the training of junior orthopaedic surgeons.
- Regularly invited to teach local and regional surgeons in Shoulder and Knee Surgery Courses.
- He is a recipient of multiple teaching awards including the Singhealth Residency Outstanding Faculty Awards from 2014-2016 and Changi General Hospital Outstanding Educator Awards 2015-2016.
Featured In:
Billing & Payment
Consultation fees are charged based on length of consultation, and start from SGD$150 (within 30 minutes).
Modes of Payment
We accept the following modes of payment:
- Cash
- PayNow & PayLah
- All major Credit Cards
If you are insured and would like to use a Letter of Guarantee (LOG) from the major insurers in Singapore, please contact us and our friendly clinic staff will assist you and provide more information if required.
Can I Claim Through My Medisave Account? (For Singaporeans and PR)
Yes, you can. Our Clinic is an accredited day surgery clinic by the Ministry of Health. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents may use their Medisave for eligible orthopaedic inpatient procedures and hospitalizations.
The exact amount would depend on the complexity of the procedure. If you have any enquiries, feel free to speak to our friendly clinic staff about using your Medisave account.
Integrated Shield Plans (Singaporeans and PRs)
Yes, patients who have purchased Integrated Shield plans with riders for co-insurance and deductibles will be able to use them in our clinic for eligible procedures. For more information, contact us to find out if your procedure is claimable.
The 6 Approved Integrated Shield Insurers are:
- NTUC Income’s IncomeShield and Enhanced IncomeShield
- American International Assurance International Co’s (AIA) HealthShield Gold
- Great Eastern Life Assurance Co’s SupremeHealth and SupremeHealth Plus
- Aviva Ltd’s MyShield
- Prudential Assurance Co’s PRUShield
- AXA Shield
