Is it possible to dislocate ankle

What you have done may not be obvious by looking at the hip, since the bones are well covered with muscle layers so swelling and bruising may not be obvious. However, you will be unable to stand or move your hip joint and, when lying down, the leg on the affected side will look shorter than the other.

Most hips dislocate out backwards and when this happens the whole leg tends to turn inwards towards the other leg. In addition, some adults have a shallow hip socket and develop recurrent dislocation, usually in later life when the supporting joints and ligaments are weaker. Treatment of a hip dislocation Patients with an injury causing a hip dislocation need pain relief and treatment for other injuries, which may include severe blood loss. The hip dislocation itself will normally be put back under anaesthetic.

The risk of damage to blood vessels and nerves is quite significant. There is a chance of permanent interruption of the blood supply to the ball part of the ball and socket joint. This leads rapidly to arthritis of the hip. Traumatic hip dislocations therefore commonly lead to lasting disabilities. Dislocations following hip surgery and dislocations that are recurrent also require reduction under anaesthesia.

They tend not to be as traumatic, as they have not required the same amount of force to cause them. This is a common injury which can affect any finger joint but which most commonly affects the middle knuckle of the four fingers rather than the thumb. It is usually caused either by over-bending the finger backwards, or by jamming or catching the finger somewhere during fast movement.

Typically this happens:. It is usually obvious - the finger will be deformed crooked and swollen and will hurt. You won't be able to move it properly and it may go pale and tingle.

Treatment of a dislocated finger You should see a healthcare professional if you have a dislocated finger. This is particularly urgent in the following cases:. You should also remove any rings swiftly, if possible. This is because they may need to be cut off if a finger swells and the rings become too tight.

A dislocated finger is usually put back in accident and emergency. It will probably be X-rayed. Ice is usually applied. Depending on the severity, you may be sent to see a hand specialist afterwards to make sure you get back the full use of your hand.

This most commonly means dislocation of the outer end joint of the collarbone clavicle , where it joins with the top of the shoulder. The ACJ is most commonly dislocated by a fall on to your arm when it is straight or on to the tip of the shoulder. It often occurs in physical 'collision' sports like rugby and football. It can also occur in sports that risk a fast or long fall, such as skiing and horse-riding.

The dislocation is painful. It may be easier to spot the change in the shape of the joint when the arm is held across the body. It can vary from a small separation of the joint to a wide one, which is more severe.

Treatment of a dislocated collarbone Treatment of this dislocation depends on how severe it is. This is judged by how widely the bones have separated and how much damage there is to the ligaments.

More severe injuries will need to be operated on surgical reduction and fixation. However, less severe injuries are managed with physiotherapy and painkillers. The joints between your lower jaw and your upper jaw are called the temporomandibular joints TMJs.

They can dislocate quite easily in some people, even when just opening the mouth particularly wide, yawning, kissing, or biting an apple. Pain is felt in front of the ear and it is difficult to open and close the mouth. Usually the lower jaw dislocates forwards. However, in the case of a direct blow to the chin it may dislocate backwards.

Treatment of a dislocated jaw The joint needs to be put back by a trained health professional. The main chewing muscles masseter muscles are very strong.

Once the jaw has dislocated they may be in spasm, so muscle relaxants are sometimes used. If the reduction proves difficult or there are other injuries, an anaesthetic may be needed. You will need to follow a soft diet as you recover from a dislocated or broken jaw, avoiding foods that are crunchy or particularly chewy.

Wrist dislocation means dislocation of any of the eight small bones which make up the wrist. It is usually caused by a fall on to the wrist or the outstretched arm. Symptoms include pain and obvious distortion of the wrist.

There are a number of ways in which the eight wrist bones can dislocate and the lunate bone is usually involved. Treatment of a dislocated wrist Dislocation of wrist bones generally involves severe ligament damage and needs treating by a specialist hand surgeon to avoid permanent damage to the wrist. Once the wrist has been put back and the ligaments repaired, a plaster cast is generally necessary to keep everything still whilst it heals.

Important nerves and arteries run through the wrist and if numbness and tingling develops in the fingers when the wrist is dislocated then this is a medical emergency, as it suggests these structures are trapped or damaged.

Dislocation of the ankle joint is a rare injury on its own but can happen in motor vehicle accidents and sports injuries. It is more common when there is an ankle fracture at the same time, as that can make the ankle joint unstable. Ankle dislocation needs urgent medical treatment as there is a risk that important nerves and blood vessels can be trapped or torn by the injury. Treatment will depend on whether or not there is also a fracture.

There are many possible kinds of dislocation that can occur in the foot, which contains multiple bones and joints. In an instant, the entire weight of your body and the force of your motion can cause your foot to roll to the outside. As this is happening, the leg actually pivots around to the inside. These opposing rotational forces may cause the bones and ligaments to break or tear.

To fracture or dislocate an ankle, the forces must be dramatic. Poor muscle strength is another contributing cause of ankle dislocations. The peroneal muscles, which run along the outside of the lower leg and cross the ankle, are responsible for bringing the foot up and out to the side.

Athletes who lack proper peroneal muscle strength may have trouble keeping their feet and legs in an appropriate position when an unexpected twist occurs. There is no evidence that if you have had a prior ankle sprain you are at a higher risk for dislocation, since dislocations are rare.

After the ambulance drops you off in the hospital's emergency room, you will probably be moved onto a new gurney. You are usually taken to a room where someone on the health care staff, either a nurse or doctor, should recognize the dislocation and take you immediately to a physician. Most patients do not receive treatment of their ankle fractures by ER physicians. Instead, the ER physician may order X-rays to check for any fractures or bone chips, and you probably will be taken for X-rays as the ER physician calls an orthopedic surgeon to evaluate your ankle.

Most people are given narcotic painkillers as soon as they have been properly moved to an area where a physician can begin making a diagnosis. In general, the ER physician or orthopedic surgeon makes a thorough physical exam while deciding the best way to put the joint back in place, a process known as reduction. They are usually…. All acute and chronic ankle injuries should be treated using the P. An ankle avulsion fracture occurs when a tendon or ligament tears, pulling a small piece of bone with it.

The symptoms are similar to an…. Acute ankle injuries include sprains, strains, and fractures. They occur suddenly as opposed to developing gradually over time. Sprained ankle An ankle sprain is one…. The majority of ankle injuries, especially the minor ones can be treated at home.

However, if you have any of the following symptoms you should…. Jones fracture is a fracture of the 5th metatarsal bone on the outside of the foot, which may occur through overuse, or following a severe…. Ankle taping techniques are often used to treat a sprained ankle, as well as give additional support during rehabilitation exercises.

Here we demonstrate a 4…. The medial malleolus is the bony bit on the inside of the ankle. A stress fracture of the medial malleolus can occur but is very…. Lower leg and ankle rehabilitation exercises for ankle, shin, and calf injuries. After your joint returns to its proper place, your doctor may ask you to wear a sling, splint, or cast for several weeks.

This will prevent the joint from moving and allow the area to fully heal. The length of time your joint needs to be immobile will vary, depending on the joint and severity of the injury. Most of your pain should go away after the joint returns to its proper place. You will need surgery only if the dislocation damaged your nerves or blood vessels, or if your doctor is unable to return your bones to their normal position.

Surgery may also be necessary for those who often dislocate the same joints, such as their shoulders. To prevent redislocation, it may be necessary to reconstruct the joint and repair any damaged structures. On occasion, a joint has to be replaced, such as a hip replacement. Rehabilitation begins after your doctor properly repositions or manipulates the joint into the correct position and removes the sling or splint if you needed one.

You and your doctor will devise a rehabilitation plan that works for you. You can prevent a dislocation if you practice safe behavior. General tips to prevent dislocations include:. Every dislocation has its own unique healing time. Most people experience a full recovery in several weeks. For some joints, such as hips, full recovery may take several months or years and may require additional surgeries.

The healing time will also be longer if blood vessels or nerves were damaged in the dislocation. On occasion, the blood vessels that supply the bones are permanently damaged.