- Up to 50% of true knee dislocations will spontaneously reduce prior to arrival. Be suspicious of a dislocation in any patient who describes the joint moving out of place or if they have significant swelling, joint effusion or ecchymosis despite normal X-rays
- In all patients with suspected dislocation, perform a neurovascular exam immediately as popliteal artery injury is common. If they’ve got an absent Dorsalis Pedis or Posterior Tibial pulse, reduce immediately and get a CT angiogram as quickly as possible to assess for popliteal injuries
- If distal pulses are intact, you can either do Ankle Brachial Indices (ABIs) and if normal, observe and repeat them or get a CT Angiogram (CTA). If the ABI is abnormal or the patient had an absent or decreased pulse at any point, get the CTA
