PCL surgery is a bit like ACL surgery. Here’s what usually happens:

1. Drilling Tunnels: Surgeons drill small tunnels into the tibia (shin bone) and femur (thigh bone).
2. Graft Insertion: They place a graft (a piece of tissue) into these tunnels to replace the damaged PCL.

An avulsion injury happens when the PCL pulls away from its attachment point on the bone. If conservative treatments don’t work, surgery is needed.

In surgery for a PCL avulsion injury:

1. Open or Arthroscopic Surgery: The surgery can be done through a large incision (open) or through small incisions using a camera (arthroscopic).
2. Fixing the Bone Fragment:
   • Open Surgery: The bone fragment is usually fixed with a screw and washer.
   • Arthroscopic Surgery: Sutures (strong threads) are used to pull the bone fragment back into place through a small tunnel in the tibia. A non-metal anchor or button can be used to hold it securely.

Recovering from PCL surgery takes time and patience. Here’s a general idea of what to expect:

1. Right After Surgery:
   • Day 1: You’ll start physical therapy right away. This helps with movement and getting your quadriceps (thigh muscles) working again.
   • First 6 Weeks: You cannot put weight on your leg. Use crutches to help you move around.

1. After 6 Weeks:

1. • Crutches: You can start to use crutches less as you begin to put more weight on your leg.
   • Driving: You might be able to drive about 2-3 weeks after you start walking.

1. Physical Therapy and Exercise:

1. • Second Phase: Begin endurance and strengthening exercises to help your leg recover concentrating on your quadriceps strength since the quads are a secondary stabilizer of the PCL.
   • 4 Months: Start agility exercises and running, but only if you’ve successfully completed earlier stages of rehab.

1. Full Recovery:

1. • 9 to 12 Months: This is how long it generally takes to fully recover, depending on how severe the injury was and if other ligaments were also injured.
   • Return to Sports: You can expect to return to sports no earlier than 9 months after surgery.