Knee Dislocation

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

 

EMKF

Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF) is an NGO supporting emergency healthcare providers across Kenya to save lives by strengthening the emergency healthcare system through capacity building, knowledge development, advocacy and research.