•Dislocations
Dislocations of a joint are fairly common
Presentation usually comes with acute pain and near complete loss of function of that limb (the joint is no longer in alignment and function is severely compromised)
Diagnosis can frequently be made on exam, and certainly confirmed on imaging
•Shoulder Dislocation
Quite common
Most common form is an anterior dislocation (95% of cases)
Most common cause of injury is traumatic (the joint is in its weakest position when abducted and externally rotated… just add a little force and… pop)
•Elbow Dislocation
The elbow is a hinge joint
Second most common large joint dislocation in adults and most common in children.
•Hip Dislocation
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint
If the ball is not in the socket, it is dislocated
(Don’t make medicine harder than it already is)
•Replaced hips can still be dislocated
•Classic exam question:
Pt was driving and collided with an object.
The forced pushed the leg into the hip, which caused a posterior hip dislocation.
