Which ligament remained intact on examination prior to ACL reconstruction?

Prepare for the Practicode Cases Part 2 Test. Review case scenarios and answer multiple choice questions with detailed explanations. Enhance your proficiency and accuracy before your final assessment!

In this scenario, the concept being tested is how ligaments respond in an isolated ACL tear and what that looks like on exam. When a knee injury involves the ACL, it’s common for the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) to remain intact. That’s because isolated ACL tears typically don’t disrupt the PCL, which is responsible for preventing the tibia from moving backward relative to the femur.

On exam, you’d expect to see signs of ACL deficiency—positive tests that indicate anterior instability—while the PCL would still be able to resist posterior translation, often giving a normal posterior drawer test. This intact PCL matters because it helps confirm that the injury is primarily an ACL tear and supports proceeding with ACL reconstruction without needing to address a PCL deficiency. If the PCL were damaged, the surgical plan and knee stability dynamics would be different, altering management.

So, the ligament that remained intact is the posterior cruciate ligament.