Dislocation - what is it? You will learn the answer to the question asked from the presented article. In addition, we will tell you about what types of dislocation are, what is their cause, symptoms, treatment, and more.
General information
Dislocation is a disturbed articulation of the articular surfaces of various bones. As a rule, it occurs due to destructive processes occurring in the joints (for example, due to arthritis, arthrosis, etc.), or injury.
Dislocation is a deviation that most often a person encounters after falls or strong blows. Athletes in sports such as football, volleyball, hockey and others are at particular risk. In addition, dislocations very often occur in people whose activities involve frequent falls (skating, skiing, mountaineering, and others).
Main types of deviations
Dislocation of the joint is classified according to the degree of its displacement, origin and location. Consider them in more detail.
- According to the degree of displacement. Such a dislocation of the joint can be complete and incomplete. The first type involves the complete divergence of the ends of the joints. As for the second, in this case the surfaces of the joints can onlypartially touch.
- By origin. A dislocation is a deviation that can not only be acquired as a result of blows, falls, and other things, but also be congenital. As a rule, such a pathology occurs due to a violation of the intrauterine development of the fetus.
We decided to pay special attention to the types of dislocation by the location of the joint.
By location
The most common traumatic dislocations occur in the shoulder, fingers, forearm, lower jaw and hip. Consider them in more detail.
- Dislocated shoulder. It is characterized by such symptoms as a sharp pain, a change in the shape of the shoulder joint compared to a he althy one, as well as a complete lack of movement.
- Dislocation of fingers. With such a deviation, a person feels a sharp pain, and also notices the unnatural position of the finger. It kind of sticks out of the joint. At the same time, any of his movements are completely absent.
- Dislocation of the forearm. The patient feels severe pain in the elbow joint, which sometimes radiates to the fingers. In this case, the forearm may "hang". The area of the elbow joint in the patient is noticeably deformed and edematous. Sometimes there are signs of redness on it.
- Dislocation of the hip. Such a deviation can only occur under the influence of a large force. Signs are sharp pain and immobility of the joint. The injured person's knee may be turned inward toward the good leg, or brought toward it. When treating such a deviation, patients are advised to lie on their back or he althy side.
- Dislocation of the lower jaw. This pathology can be bilateral or unilateral. As a rule, it occurs when the mouth is opened too much (for example, when biting off a large piece, yawning, and other movements). Symptoms of bilateral dislocation of the jaw are as follows: a person's mouth is wide open, and the jawbone seems to be pushed forward. At the same time, speech and the process of swallowing are difficult. With a unilateral deviation, a half-open and, as it were, skewed mouth is observed.
Other types of dislocations
Among other things, dislocations can be closed or open. Closed represent a deviation without breaking the skin and tissues. As for the open ones, as a rule, such dislocations are accompanied by the formation of visible wounds.
Injury to vessels, muscles, tendons, bones or nerves makes this deviation more difficult. If it arose as a result of a slight impact, then they speak of habitual dislocation.
It should also be noted that there is a deviation that is pathological. Very often, it is referred to as a dislocation of the hip and shoulder joint. If the surrounding muscles are paresis or paralysis, then there is a paralytic deviation.
The most common causes of occurrence
As we said above, dislocation of the arm, leg, hip, shoulder and other joints can be acquired and congenital. Also, such a deviation may occur due to any disease (for example, arthrosis, osteomyelitis, arthritis,poliomyelitis, etc.). But in most cases, such a pathology is associated with indirect injuries and sudden movements that exceed the norm of joint mobility. As for dislocations from direct trauma, they are much less common.
Main symptoms of deviation
Dislocation of the hip, shoulder joint cannot but attract attention. However, it should be noted that the symptoms of such a deviation depend on its type. For example, congenital dislocation of the hip joint manifests itself as a violation of gait. This is due to the fact that the process of abduction of the lower limb becomes limited, and the gluteal folds become asymmetric. Over time, you can notice that the child's legs have different lengths, which, of course, is fraught with lameness.
If the dislocation of the hip joint is bilateral, then the gait becomes a "duck". This symptom may appear as early as junior high school.
It should also be noted that shoulder dislocation, as well as dislocation of the knee joint and others, is almost always accompanied by severe pain syndromes, replenishment, swelling and immobility.
First aid for dislocation
Everyone needs to know how to provide first aid for a dislocation. After all, no one is immune from the occurrence of such a deviation. This is especially true for young mothers who have hyperactive children.
If your child or loved one has dislocated a joint, then first of all this place should be immobilized, that is, immobilized. For example, if you damagedlower or upper limb, it is recommended to fix it with a scarf or apply a splint.
Also, first aid for a dislocation requires the use of a cold compress. To do this, it is recommended to take an ice pack or just a bottle filled with cold water, and then gently apply it to the damaged area.
Can I set myself?
If the dislocation resulted from a slight physical impact, and you are completely sure that the victim's bone is not damaged, then you can set the joint yourself. It is recommended to do this back to the mechanism of injury.
If you doubt that the patient does not have a bone injury, it is best to entrust the reduction procedure to an experienced doctor. Otherwise, you can injure the tissues even more than aggravate the already painful condition of the patient.
After the doctor sets the dislocated joint, he must fix the limb, using a splint or bandage for this, which is not recommended to be removed for 1-2 weeks.
By the way, it should also be noted that in no case should hot compresses be applied to a dislocation of any joint.
Dislocation treatment
The process of treating traumatic dislocation of the joint (after repositioning by a doctor) consists in prescribing physiotherapeutic manipulations. As a rule, these include therapeutic exercises, massage, acupuncture, and so on. As for pathological dislocations, sometimes they require surgical intervention in order to restore the functioning of the joint. Besides,it is imperative to treat the underlying disease, which caused the pathology.
How long does it take for a person to recover?
Usually, full recovery of the function of the injured limb occurs after one month. To prevent this period from dragging on, doctors recommend minimizing the load on the joint.
If the dislocation is congenital, then it should be treated differently. Therapy is recommended to start as early as possible. The optimal age of the child is up to two years. If you lose sight of this moment, then the patient may need long-term application of special splints, as well as regular wearing of orthopedic shoes or even surgery.
