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J Knee Surg 2020; 33(04): 328-334
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1698749
Special Focus Section
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The Irreducible Knee Dislocation

Shahbaz S. Malik 
1   Pan Am Clinic, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Cananda
,
Peter B. MacDonald
1   Pan Am Clinic, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Cananda
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

14 August 2019

01 September 2019

Publication Date:
22 November 2019 (online)

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Corrected by:

Erratum to: The Irreducible Knee DislocationJ Knee Surg 2020; 33(04): e1-e1
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3402743

Abstract

Irreducible knee dislocations are a small subset of acute knee dislocations and are extremely rare. The most common type of irreducible knee dislocation is posterolateral, which can be challenging to diagnose both clinically and on plain radiographs. Vascular injury is uncommon and closed reduction is seldom possible due to medial femoral condyle buttonholing through soft tissues requiring open or arthroscopic reduction. Ligament injuries mostly include medial collateral ligament, anterior cruciate ligament, and posterior cruciate ligament. Literature has numerous case reports with a couple of small series giving short- to mid-term outcomes of posterolateral knee dislocations. There is, however, no consensus on management of ligament injuries with case reports showing good outcomes in early or delayed ligament reconstruction. This article sheds light on previous case reports and describes how to identify irreducible knee dislocations and provides an algorithm on how to manage ligament injuries in posterolateral dislocations.

Keywords

irreducible knee dislocation - posterolateral knee dislocation - multiligament knee injury - MCL - ACL - PCL

Note

The authors, their immediate families, and any research foundations with which they are affiliated have not received any financial payments or other benefits from any commercial entity related to the subject of this article.


 

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