The knee is one of the thickest bones in the body and to suffer a bone fracture, it requires a tremendous amount of force. The kind of energy required to cause this traumatic injury is frequently seen in car accidents or similar high-energy events. When people dislocate their knee, most physicians are able to put the knee back in place without requiring surgery. Sometimes, problems can develop when physicians are trying to do so. Such was the case of an individual who had suffered both a fracture and dislocation of his knee.

A 19-year old kid was involved in a high-speed accident that led to significant extremity trauma, including dislocation of the tibial plateau, along with a traumatic brain injury. This injury developed when his vehicle collided with an object in front of him, smashing his right knee into the dashboard of his car. This is one of the most common injuries seen in motor vehicle accidents and is actually referred to as dashboard knee. Unfortunately, physicians were unable to complete a closed reduction of his knee because the patient had also torn his meniscus. The meniscus was stuck underneath the dislocated portion of the knee, making this an irreducible knee dislocation.

When physicians realized that the patient’s torn meniscus was preventing a reduction of his dislocated knee, they rushed him to the operating room immediately. The patient also did not have any pulses in his feet, meaning that there was a concern for damage to the blood vessels. In the operating room, the patient required four different fasciotomies to relieve the compression on the nerves and blood vessels in his leg. In the operating room, the patient’s knee was put back into place while his brain injury was also addressed. Fortunately, despite the delay in reduction of his knee dislocation, the patient made a full recovery. This case serves to highlight the idea that if a closed reduction cannot be completed, it is vital to move the patient to the operating room quickly, particularly if other injuries must be addressed. If there is a delay in care, it can adversely impact the outcome of the patient and his quality of life in the future.

Watch YouTube Video: What Causes Patella Dislocation? This short video explains how the kneecap also known as the patella can become dislocated.

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Traumatic injuries to the knee can lead to life-long complications. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, call me for free, friendly advice at 916.921.6400 or (800) 404-5400. You can also reach me online at autoaccident.com.

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