Every day, people who have received injuries at home, at work or on the street turn to emergency rooms. Many of them are diagnosed with “dislocation”, the signs of which are obvious to a traumatologist. But patients do not have a medical education, and they do not understand what this means. To avoid unnecessary worries and misunderstandings between the doctor and the patient, we will try to explain what is meant by this sonorous term.
How does the joint work?
Some bones of our skeleton are connected movably. This allows a person to walk, bend, raise and bend limbs. The bones in these joints are separated by an articular cavity in which articular (synovinal) fluid is present. Outside, the junction is covered with a durable sheath, called an articular bag. Thanks to the internal fluid and powerful fibrous external tissue, these surfaces can glide smoothly without leaving the bag.
What do doctors call a dislocation?
If an injury occurs, the integrity of the joint bag may be impaired, and the surfaces themselves may shift in relation to a circle to each other. This is a dislocation, the signs of which will be described in more detail below. That is, when the doctor makes a similar diagnosis, he means that the bone came out of the joint cavity, damaging the tissue of the bag or ligament.
Types of dislocations
Medicine distinguishes several types of dislocations:
- traumatic;
- congenital;
- pathological;
- habitual.
Each species has its own characteristics and features. So, for example, a congenital dislocation of the hip is characterized by a displacement of the head of the bone, but the joint bag is not broken. But if such an innate pathology is not treated, then the bag is stretched, which causes additional difficulties with movement.
But the signs of a dislocation of the joint, called pathological, are damage to the articular surface caused by the pathological process. In particular, tuberculosis, syphilis or hematogenous inflammation in childhood.
The usual dislocation is considered special . Signs are frequent repetitions of articular displacement associated with effort and exertion. They happen to athletes, and people involved in heavy physical labor, although the inhabitants also happen. Most often, habitual dislocations of the shoulder, wrist and elbow joints are observed.
Primary localization
Usually, traumatologists are treated with dislocations after falls on the street and domestic injuries. More often than others, such injuries of the wrist joint, interphalangeal joints of the fingers and toes, elbow and hip joints are diagnosed. There are also quite a lot of cases of dislocation of the jaw joint.
Key features
So we got to the most important. Next, the first signs of dislocation should be described. After the injury, the person feels pain, the limb is in an uncharacteristic position, and the joint itself looks unnatural, its shape changes. Movement at the site of a damaged joint is difficult or impossible.
Signs of dislocation can be visually noticeable, and it seems to a person that the bone is easy to put in place. But this is a mistake. A damaged limb springs and returns to an atypical position. These manipulations are accompanied by severe pain and can cause pain shock.
Giving help
After the obvious signs of dislocation are established, you can try to provide first aid to the victim before the ambulance arrives at the place or before it is delivered to the emergency room. Remember, if you do not have a medical education, you can’t repair a damaged joint yourself! The fact is that inept actions can damage the joint more severely. Give the victim a pain medication, such as analgin. Put a cold compress on the damaged joint or apply ice. Fix the limb in the state that it took after the injury. Hang your hand on a scarf or bandages around your neck. But fix the leg with a long stick or board so that it is immobilized. If there is no suitable tire, then bandage the affected leg to a healthy one. Now the victim can be transported to the hospital.
Unlike other types of maxillary dislocation. Symptoms are jaw extension, increased salivation, discomfort and pain. A unilateral dislocation of the lower jaw shifts it towards a healthy joint. The mouth does not close, and the pain is localized in the ear area. If there are signs of this damage, then tie the jaw with a wide scarf or scarf, the ends of which are fixed on the back of the head. If there is an opportunity to apply a bandage from a bandage, then it should be sling-like. The wide part closes the chin, and the ends are tied at the back of the head.
What does the doctor do?
The victim should be taken to the doctor as quickly as possible. The earlier the dislocation is corrected, the less the consequences of the injury. Treatment begins with anesthesia of the damaged joint. Then the doctor carefully, without sudden movements, sets the bone into the joint bag. In this case, a characteristic click is heard, and partial mobility is restored. The appearance of the joint is again becoming typical. But this is not the end of treatment, but only its beginning. Next, the doctor must immobilize the joint to restore damaged areas inside the bag. To do this, the limb is gypsum in the correct condition.
You can’t rush to remove gypsum. Untreated joint injury can turn into a habitual dislocation, and this will significantly complicate life.
Having understood the concepts: dislocation, signs, first aid with it, you will not feel helpless in case of injury. From the article it became known what can be done, and what can not be done if a dislocation is received. The question of how to provide first aid in case of dislocation, if you had the chance to become an accidental witness to an injury, was also considered.