Dislocations occur when your bones move out of place, which may be due to trauma from an accident, a fall or sports injury. Normally, both ends of the bone connect at the joint, but tearing or laxity of connecting soft tissues can cause these ends to be out of place with each other, causing a great deal of pain. Your shoulders, fingers, elbows, hips and knees are examples of joints that may dislocate. After receiving treatment for a dislocation, which includes rehabilitation and rest, your joint's functionality should return to its usual mobility, and you can resume your daily routine. Dr Gupta’s treatments aim to restore the alignment of the bones and improve your joint’s functionality.

Signs of dislocation include:

• A deformed or misaligned joint
• Skin discolouration
• Swollen joint
• Surge of pain
• Immobility of the joint

Dislocations are medical emergencies that are often mistaken for fractures. While you are waiting for a diagnosis, apply ice to the area to relieve pain and try to avoid excessive movement.

Joint dislocations can become complicated when ligaments, tendons and muscles tear, or blood vessels and nerves are injured. Recurrence is also a possibility whereby, e.g. the shoulder dislocates for a second time. Therefore, complex orthopaedic surgery is required when there is damage to the soft tissues (e.g. tendons or ligaments) supporting the joint or when there is an injury to nearby blood vessels and nerves. When ligaments sustain damage, Dr Gupta will perform ligament reconstruction, which can be performed with arthroscopically assisted surgery. In this case, he uses stitches to repair the ligament or strengthens it using substitute tissue or a piece of tendon.

Before surgery, Dr Gupta evaluates the severity of your dislocation and the extent of damage done to surrounding tissue by conducting imaging studies, e.g. X-rays, ultrasound, MRI scan.

Surgery to treat a dislocation occurs in stages:

First, your orthopaedic surgeon pushes - without surgery - your bones back in place while you are under general anaesthetic and then applies a sling to preserve the bones and facilitate your healing. Surgery, however, remains your only option when the bones cannot be realigned or there is damage to the blood vessels and nerves or frequent recurrence. Some patients may require open surgery. Rehabilitation is an essential part of recovery and entails a treatment plan consisting of strengthening and flexibility exercises to improve your mobility and reduce the risk of recurrence.

FAQ

How do dislocations tend to occur? Are there different types of shoulder dislocations? What happens when I fail to seek treatment for a dislocated shoulder in time?