Knee Dislocation Treatment & surgeon in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

What is a knee dislocation?

A knee dislocation happens when the thigh bone and shin bone are forced completely out of alignment with each other, rather than simply spraining a ligament. Because the knee is held together almost entirely by its ligaments, the joint cannot come apart without tearing at least two of them and usually three or four. It is different from a kneecap (patellar) dislocation, which is far more common and much less serious. Most true knee dislocations follow a road accident, a fall from height or a heavy sporting collision, though they can also occur after a relatively low-energy fall in patients carrying significant extra weight.

Why a knee dislocation is an emergency

The popliteal artery, which carries the blood supply to the whole lower leg, runs directly behind the knee and is tethered there. When the joint dislocates, that artery can be stretched, torn or blocked, and the leg itself is then at risk. The nerves behind the knee can be injured in the same way, causing weakness or numbness in the foot.

For that reason a dislocated knee is reduced - put back into position - as an emergency, and the circulation is checked immediately and again over the following hours, because an arterial injury does not always declare itself straight away. Where there is any doubt, a CT angiogram or vascular opinion is obtained before anything else is planned. Some knees reduce themselves before the patient reaches hospital, which can hide how severe the injury was, so a knee that is grossly unstable after a high-energy accident is treated as a dislocation until proven otherwise.

Which ligaments are injured

An MRI, once the knee is reduced and stable, maps exactly which structures have torn - and that map decides the reconstruction plan.

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) - torn in the large majority of knee dislocations
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) - the ligament most characteristically involved
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the inner corner of the knee
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and the posterolateral corner
• The meniscus and joint cartilage, often damaged alongside the ligaments

How a dislocated knee is treated

Once the joint is reduced, the circulation confirmed and the swelling settled, the knee is held in a brace or - where it will not stay reduced - by a temporary external fixator. Reconstruction is then planned rather than rushed, because operating into a swollen, stiff knee gives a worse result than waiting a short period for the soft tissues to recover.

The cruciate ligaments are reconstructed arthroscopically using grafts, in the same way as an isolated ACL reconstruction or PCL reconstruction, while the collateral ligaments and corners are repaired or reconstructed through small open incisions. Depending on how many structures are involved, this may be done in one longer operation or staged across two, and any meniscal or cartilage damage is addressed at the same time.

Recovery after knee dislocation surgery

Recovery is longer than after a single ligament injury, because several structures are healing at once and the knee has to be protected against both instability and stiffness at the same time. A brace controls movement in the early weeks, weight-bearing is introduced gradually, and physiotherapy is started early to prevent the joint scarring down. Most patients regain functional daily movement over six to nine months, with sport or heavy work considered at around a year, and some residual stiffness or laxity is common after such a severe injury.

Frequently asked questions