A Clinical Study of Traumatic Dislocation of the Knee Joint: Analysis of 7 Cases

Chung, Yung Khee; Lee, Khee Byoung; Young, Woon Kyung

Abstract

Traumatic dislocation of the knee joint occurs very infrequently, but is one of the true emergencies in the orthopedic field. It is a serious injury, associated with extensive soft tissue demage and the danger of neurological and vascular involvement. There is a lot of theories about the mechanism of injury, the treatment and the incidence of complications. Generally they accept that in irreducible cases operative reduction is essential, but there is no uniformity of opinion on the treatment of the uncomplicated cases. This paper is based on 7 traumatic knee dislocations treated at Kang Nam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym College during the period from January 1980 till December 1984. The results of the study are as follows: 1. The patients are mostly injured due to the traffic accident and show even age distribution from twenties to fifties. 2. 5 cases out of 7, reduced at our hospital, were all anteriorly dislocated. 3. The posterior capsule and the posterior cruciate ligament were injured in all cases. 4. There were no significant differences between primary repair of soft tissues and the late reconstruction.