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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
A dislocated joint may be:
- Visibly deformed or out of place
- Swollen or discolored
- Intensely painful
- Immovable
You may also experience tingling or numbness near the injury — such as in your foot for a dislocated knee or in your hand for a dislocated elbow.
When to see a doctor
It can be difficult to tell a broken bone from a dislocated bone. If you or your child appears to have either type of injury, get medical help right away.
While you're waiting for medical attention:
- Don't move the joint. Splint or sling the affected joint in its current position. Don't try to move a dislocated joint or force it back into place. This can damage the joint and its surrounding muscles, ligaments, nerves or blood vessels.
- Ice the injured joint. Applying ice to the injured joint can help reduce pain and swelling by controlling internal bleeding and the buildup of fluids in and around the injured joint.
- Questions and answers about shoulder problems. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Shoulder_Problems/default.asp. Accessed Oct. 5, 2008.
- Hip dislocation. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00352. Accessed Oct. 6, 2008.
- Siliski JM. Dislocations and soft tissue injuries of the knee. In: Browner BD, et al. Skeletal Trauma: Basic Science, Management, and Reconstruction. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2003. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/106725364-3/756329918/1217/497.html#4-u1.0-B0-7216-9175-7..50060-3_2736. Accessed Oct. 6, 2008.
- Elbow dislocations and fracture dislocations. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00029. Accessed Oct. 6, 2008.
- Handout on health: Sports injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sports_Injuries/default.asp. Accessed Oct. 6, 2008.
- Preventing falls among seniors. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/spotlite/falltips.htm. Accessed Oct. 6, 2008.
