Knee Dislocation
What Is a Knee Dislocation?
A knee dislocation is a serious injury in which the femur and tibia are forced completely out of alignment at the knee joint. This is different from a kneecap dislocation, which involves only the patella. A true knee dislocation typically damages multiple ligaments at once — often the ACL, PCL, and one or both collateral ligaments — since it takes tremendous force to displace the entire joint.
What Causes a Knee Dislocation?
Knee dislocations usually result from high-energy trauma, such as:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Falls from significant height
- High-speed sports collisions
- In some cases, a severe twisting injury during sports, especially in patients with certain risk factors
Because of the force required, knee dislocations are considered orthopedic emergencies and are frequently associated with injury to the blood vessels and nerves that run behind the knee.
What Are the Symptoms of a Knee Dislocation?
- Obvious deformity of the knee (in cases where the joint remains out of place)
- Severe pain
- Significant swelling
- Inability to move or bear weight on the leg
- Numbness, tingling, or coldness in the foot, which can signal an injury to the blood vessels or nerves behind the knee — a finding that requires immediate emergency evaluation
Some knee dislocations spontaneously reduce (pop back into place) before a patient reaches medical care, which can make the injury look less dramatic than it is — but the underlying ligament and vascular damage still needs urgent evaluation.
Why Is a Knee Dislocation Considered an Emergency?
The popliteal artery, which supplies blood to the lower leg and foot, runs directly behind the knee joint. When the knee dislocates, this artery can be stretched or torn, putting the entire leg at risk if blood flow isn’t restored quickly. For this reason, anyone with a suspected knee dislocation should be evaluated in an emergency setting, where vascular status can be carefully checked, sometimes with specialized imaging of the blood vessels.
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Treatment Options for an ACL Tear
Initial treatment focuses on restoring the joint to its normal position (if it hasn’t already reduced) and thoroughly assessing blood vessels, nerves, and the extent of ligament damage. Because multiple ligaments are typically torn, surgery is usually required — most often as a staged approach, allowing initial swelling and inflammation to settle before reconstructing the damaged ligaments in one or more procedures. Recovery from a multi-ligament knee reconstruction is a longer process than a single-ligament injury like an isolated ACL tear, often requiring many months of dedicated physical therapy to regain strength, motion, and stability.
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Dr. Palsis specializes in the treatment of knee, shoulder, and sports injuries.