Joint dislocation
Prevention
Preventing injuries in children:
- Create a safe environment around your home.
- Pay careful attention to preventing falls by gating stairways and keeping windows closed and locked.
- Supervise children carefully. There is no substitute for close supervision no matter how safe the environment or situation appears to be.
- Teach children how to be
safe and look out for themselves.
Preventing dislocations in adults:
- Avoid falls by not standing on chairs, countertops, or other unstable objects.
- Eliminate throw rugs, especially for the elderly.
- Wear protective gear when participating in contact sports.
For all age groups:
- Keep a
first aid kit handy. - Remove electrical cords from floor surfaces.
- Use handrails on staircases.
- Use nonskid mats on the bottom of the bathtubs and avoid bath oils.
References
Browner BD, Jupiter JB, Levine Am, Trafton PG, Krettek C., eds. Skeletal Trauma. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2008.
Chapman MW. Fracture healing and closed treatment of fractures and dislocations. In: Chapman MW, Szabo RM, Marder RA, Vince KG, Mann RA, Lane JM, et al, eds. Chapman's Orthopaedic Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins: 2000:chap 10.
Foley KA. Knee dislocation. In: Rosen P, Barkin RM, Hayden SR, Schaider JJ, Wolfe R, eds. Rosen and Barkin's 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2007.
Previous Section
Review Date: 04/13/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason
Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve,
MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
