ASPECTS OF CURRENT MANAGEMENT Dislocation of the knee

©2006 British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery doi:10.1302/0301-620X.88B6. 17448 $2.00 J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 2006;88-B:706-11. Dislocation of the knee is a serious injury which can have long-term adverse effects which may impair the patient’s return to physical employment and recreational activity. Vascular disruption and injury to the common peroneal nerve are not unusual and will complicate the initial assessment and management. Presentation with the knee still dislocated gives an obvious diagnosis. However, spontaneous relocation may occur, in which case, the severity of the ligamentous disruption may be underestimated. 1,2 There is still debate about the timing of surgery, the technique of reconstruction and the selection of the most appropriate graft material for the disrupted tissues. This review emphasises the importance of awareness of the possibility of multiple ligamentous injuries in the traumatised knee and examines the epidemiology, management and outcome of dislocation of the knee.