Dislocated Knee Treatment

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Patellar Dislocation Patellar Dislocation commonly known as a dislocated kneecap is a common knee injury among young athletes. It should be pointed out that kneecap dislocation is not the same as a knee dislocation. A dislocated knee is a more serious and painful injury although that is not to say that a dislocated patella is not serious or painful. When a knee dislocation occurs the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) are no longer connected. Most times the leg will be deformed accompanied by extreme pain. Generally, major ligaments such as the ACL and PCL are torn in the event of a knee dislocation. A high trauma incident to the knee such as getting hit by a car is normally needed to cause knee dislocation. A dislocated kneecap is a different type of injury. The kneecap, or patella, is a small triangular bone in the knee that starts as cartilage as a newborn and forms into bone over time. The patella is set into a groove known as the patellofemoral groove and is connected by ligaments and tendons. When the patella moves out of the patellofemoral groove it is called a patellar dislocation. Most times the kneecap will dislocate laterally. If the kneecap partially dislocates it is called subluxation . Kneecap Dislocation Causes and Symptoms The causes that lead to a dislocated kneecap tend to include two incidences. First and most common is the twisting of the knee when the foot is planted. This most likely happens during sports such as basketball , soccer, skiing , and football. Second, the patella can be dislocated from a direct blow to the knee. The blow needs to be a strong one to knock the kneecap from its groove. This can happen in everyday life but generally happens in high knee contact sports like football and soccer . Other ways it can happen include an imbalance in the knee joints or a kneecap already having been dislocated once and thus dislocating again. A kneecap dislocated once is more likely to repeat dislocation. Kneecap dislocation is also m