Ew. Lee et al., USE OF A MODIFIED QUENGEL HINGE TO PREVENT POSTERIOR DISPLACEMENT OF THE TIBIA DURING TREATMENT OF PCL INJURY, Orthopedics, 16(10), 1993, pp. 1168-1172
During treatment of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries, poster
ior displacement of the tibia may occur inside the cast due to the eff
ect of gravity on the lower leg. To prevent this problem the authors a
ttempted to apply the original Quengel cast, first described by Mommse
n in 1922 and perfected by Jordan, to correct the flexion contracture
of the knee in hemophiliacs. However, the authors found that the cast
was not effective in preventing the posterior displacement of the tibi
a during management of PCL injuries. They modified the design of the o
riginal Quengel hinge to obtain a more effective anterior traction on
the tibia parallel to the knee joint line. Of the 32 patients who used
the modified Quengel brace, 15 who could be followed had less than a
3 mm difference between the injured and uninjured knee 3 months postop
eratively.