Knee Dislocation
Medical Author:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACRDr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Medical Editor:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhDDr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Knee Dislocation OverviewA knee dislocation occurs when the bones that form the knee are out of place. A knee dislocation, more specifically, is when the bones of the leg (the tibia and fibula) are moved in relation to the bone in the thigh (femur). The bones of the knee are held together by strong bands of tissue called ligaments. Each ligament is responsible for stabilizing the knee in a certain position. For a knee dislocation to occur, these ligaments must tear. A partial dislocation is referred to as a subluxation. In some injuries, the kneecap (patella) and its ligaments are also disrupted. Inappropriate or delayed treatment of a knee dislocation may result in loss of the leg.
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Viewer Comments & ReviewsKnee Dislocation - SymptomsThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What symptoms did you experience with your knee dislocation? |
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Dislocations, Knee »
Knee dislocation is a relatively rare injury but an important one to recognize because coexistent vascular injury, if missed, often leads to limb loss.
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