[The combination of fractures of the lower extremity and lesion of the posterior cruciate ligament].

In 400 fractures of the upper and lower leg, 7 patients had an additional lesion of the posterior cruciate ligament. This combination occurs in people, who had a high energy frontal impact in the sitting position. The ligamenteous injury is often overlooked because of multiple injuries and difficulty in examination of a knee joint on a fractured leg. In high velocity injuries of the lower extremity, knee and hip joint injuries must not be overlooked. The diagnosis of knee injury can be made by inspection and palpation of a joint effusion and by a knee joint X-ray, which shows an avulsion fracture of the dorsal tibial spine. Repair is recommended within the first 3 weeks if possible. Later, scarring in the subluxed position and osteoporosis of the fragment will make a reconstruction very difficult.