Reduction (Subscribe)  

The ankle is a unique modified saddle joint that, together with the subtalar joint, provides range of motion in several physical planes while maintaining stability. The ankle's complex function as a pivoting structure positioned to bear almost the entire weight of the body leaves it vulnerable to tremendous forces of...

The ankle is a unique modified saddle joint that, together with the subtalar joint, provides range of motion in several physical planes while maintaining stability. The ankle's complex function as a pivoting structure positioned to bear almost the entire weight of the body leaves it vulnerable to tremendous forces of...

The shoulder is the most commonly dislocated large joint seen in the emergency department (ED), and anterior dislocations account for 90-98% of cases.1 Most dislocations are straightforward and easily reducible in the ED using one of several techniques. However, difficult cases do occur, and clinicians need to be mindful of...

Dislocation of a joint occurs when traumatic forces cause complete loss of continuity between the joint’s 2 articulating surfaces. Subluxation, on the other hand, occurs when the loss of continuity between the joints is only partial. A dislocation may or may not involve a fracture. Dislocations of the finger joints...

Inferior glenohumeral dislocations, also known as luxatio erecta, are extremely uncommon, accounting for less than 1% of all shoulder dislocations. Most inferior dislocations result from forceful hyperabduction of the shoulder. Hyperabduction of the glenohumeral joint initially results in impingement of the humeral head against the acromion. The leverage caused by...

Patellar dislocations are common, particularly in adolescent females and athletes. Patients usually present with an inability to extend an obviously deformed knee. A sizable effusion may also be seen. This injury may be due to direct trauma to the patella or a valgus stress combined with flexion and external rotation.
The...

In adults, the elbow is the second most frequently dislocated major joint, after the shoulder. It is the most commonly dislocated joint in children. More than 90% of all elbow dislocations are posterior dislocations. This injury entails disengagement of the coronoid process of the ulna from the trochlea of the...

Hip dislocations, regardless of their etiology, are orthopedic emergencies that require immediate diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.1 The adult hip joint is remarkably stable. It is reinforced with thick capsular and labral structures. The presence of a dislocation injury indicates a large force from a traumatic mechanism (a traction force of...

Dislocation of the radial head occurs most frequently in men who are subject to high-force injury.1 In children, the radial head is much more commonly subluxed than dislocated.
Isolated radial head dislocations are rare. Radial head dislocations are usually complicated by complete elbow dislocations or fractures, as in the Monteggia complex.
Gretchen...

Radial head subluxation, also known as nursemaid's elbow, is the most common upper extremity injury in infants and young children who present to the emergency department (ED). Reduction of the radial head is easily performed in the ED with few complications.
Subluxation of the radial head is a minor injury in...

Despite the inherent stability of the joints of the thumb, the vulnerable anatomic position of the first phalangis often subjects the joints to mechanical strain that leads to subluxation or dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints.
Moira Davenport, MD Updated: Jun 26, 2009