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Knee Dislocation, Sports Medicine

Timothy Tiu, MD, FAAPMR, CAQSM Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

  • The true incidence of knee dislocations is unknown, owing to frequent spontaneous reduction 1,2,3,4. Missed spontaneous reductions may cause detrimental neurovascular damage. It is unnecessary ...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Patient will usually hear a pop at time of injury.

  • Have patient describe mechanism of injury, if possible.

PHYSICAL EXAM

  • The initial physical exam may be difficult, owing to excessive sw...

TREATMENT

  • Prehospital:

    • If covering a game or event with potential high-impact injuries, initially assess for life-threatening injuries.

    • Basic life support: circulation, airway, breathing (CAB); assess f...

ONGOING CARE

PROGNOSIS

  • Prognosis depends on neurovascular damage, which depends on velocity of injury.

  • Fibular nerve damage portends a worse prognosis. Full recovery is unlikely, but younger patients ma...

REFERENCES

1
McKee L, Ibrahim MS, Lawrence T, et al. Current concepts in acute knee dislocation: the missed diagnosis? Open Orthop J.  2014;8:162–167.
2
Maslaris A, Brinkmann O, Bungartz M, et al. M...

ADDITIONAL READING

Cush GJ, Maloney PJ, Irgit K. Drop foot after knee dislocation: evaluation and treatment. In: Fanelli G, ed. The Multiple Ligament Injured Knee. New York, NY: Springer; 2013:343–3...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Knee dislocations often reduce spontaneously. If it is a high-impact injury with knee deformity or multiple ligamentous laxity, suspect a knee dislocation 1,2,3,4.

  • Anterior dislocations...

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