The main causes of dislocations
Foot sprains: peculiarities of diagnosis
How to treat a dislocated leg: the main stages
Dislocation of the foot is a traumatic condition that is accompanied by a disruption of the interconnection of bone tissue in the joint. As a result, it can take an anatomically incorrect position, causing a person pain, discomfort, and inability to move fully. In total, there are 26 bones in the foot, which can be displaced in case of trauma. All of them are divided into three sections: tarsal, metatarsal and flank. The foot is connected to the lower leg through the ankle joint. And this is the most mobile place, which is most often and is subject to injury. In parallel with this can be observed stretching or rupture of ligaments, fractures. And without competent help here can not do without.
Now we will dwell in more detail on what types of dislocations of the foot are distinguished by modern medicine, consider the types of such traumatic conditions and the main symptoms. We will tell you what the first aid should be in this case, highlight the main points of diagnosis. We will describe how to treat a dislocated foot and whether it can be done at home.
Sprained leg: main varieties
Given the rather complex structure of the foot, its damage can be different. Modern medicine distinguishes four main classifications of foot sprains:
- Depending on the degree: complete and incomplete. In the first case, a serious displacement of the bones is diagnosed, which is accompanied by the destruction of their attachment to the head of the bone. With incomplete dislocation, a slight displacement without rupture is observed.
- Depending on the age of the injury: fresh, stale, outdated. In practice, it is often the case that the patient seeks medical help not immediately, but after a sufficiently long period of time. And the way the doctor will treat a sprained foot, largely depends on the age of the injury. Fresh are those sprains, from the moment of appearance of which has passed no more than 3 days, not fresh – from 3 days to 3 weeks and outdated – if it has already passed more than 3 weeks.
- Depending on the type of injury received: open, closed. Like fractures, dislocations can be accompanied by damage to soft tissues, epidermis (open dislocation). If there are no such manifestations, then it is said about a closed dislocation.
- Depending on the place of localization. Dislocation of the leg in a child or adult can be ram, subtalar, interphalangeal, lateral and medial (metatarsal and tarsal). So the first three varieties directly depend on the place of their localization, while the last two involve displacement of the damaged bone outward and inward, respectively. In this case, we are mainly talking about dislocation of the leg in the ankle.
The main causes of dislocations
To understand how to treat a dislocated leg at home and determine the need to contact doctors, it is necessary to understand what exactly led to the problem. There may be several causes of such traumatism:
- A careless movement while walking that causes the foot to turn, often inward;
- a direct blow to either the foot itself or the tibia;
- intense jumping without additional protection, without special shock-absorbing shoes;
- very strong anatomically incorrect flexion or extension of the ankle joint.
From what cause the injury occurred and how serious it is depends on how long the dislocation of the leg passes. Faced with such an injury can be both adults and children in the home, at training, at work, on the street. And no one is immune from them. You just need to know how to act in this or that situation.
Sprained leg: symptomatology
Often joint injuries can be seen with the naked eye. It is not necessary to have in-depth knowledge and skills, it is enough to simply inspect the injured foot. So, what does a sprained foot look like:
- swelling appears in the traumatized area, the skin takes on a bluish color;
- the person feels sharp pain, which can spread not only to the foot itself, but also to the lower leg;
- there is a change in shape in the damaged area of the foot or ankle;
- there is impaired mobility, the person cannot fully lean on the foot, there are problems with independent movement.
If you notice the following symptoms, it means that the person needs competent help and as soon as possible. It should not be forgotten that along with sprains, a foot fracture has similar manifestations. Without having certain knowledge and diagnostic equipment, it is impossible to accurately establish the type of pathology. Therefore, in this situation to provide first aid, it is necessary to contact doctors who know how to identify a sprain or fracture of the foot, will be able to provide appropriate assistance.
Sprained leg: first aid rules
First aid for a dislocated leg includes a number of basic interventions:
- Lay the person on a flat surface: sitting may cause the swelling to increase further;
- position the injured leg higher in relation to body level – this will help to reduce swelling;
- Ensure good fixation of the injured area: even the slightest movement can cause pain;
- ice the injured area for about 10-15 minutes: this can be repeated every 30-40 minutes to reduce swelling and the chance of hemorrhage;
- apply a splint, bandage the leg using a soft material, elastic bandage.
Do not try to reposition the injured leg by yourself, because by carelessness you can cause even more harm to the person. By following the recommendations described above, you can remove the pain syndrome, prevent the spread of swelling. In some cases, it is recommended to give a person pain medication. All other activities should be entrusted to doctors.
Foot sprains: peculiarities of diagnosis
If there are signs of a dislocated foot, the exact damage can only be determined through comprehensive diagnostics. Only in this way it will be possible to prescribe the optimal treatment, to prevent the development of serious complications. As the main diagnostic measures are used:
- visual inspection, palpation of the injured area, interview to determine the cause of injury;
- X-ray examination or magnetic resonance therapy;
- computerized tomography (in quite serious situations).
Only after the doctor has all the necessary examination results at his disposal can he start treating the dislocated joint.
How to treat a dislocated leg: the main stages
In most cases, the treatment of a dislocated leg will involve the implementation of several sequential steps:
- Repositioning. It must be performed under anesthesia. This will not only reduce pain sensations, but also provide relaxation of the muscle tissue.
- Fixation of the damaged area with a plaster cast. It is impossible to say unequivocally how much the leg dislocation is treated by wearing such a bandage. It all depends on what structures have been traumatized, how serious the identified damage is.
- Drug therapy. It will mainly include drugs that eliminate painful sensations, reducing hypertonicity of muscle tissue.
- Rehabilitation after injury. This is the stage that takes the most time. It is carried out after the plaster cast is removed. The main task here is to restore joint mobility, elasticity of tissues. At this stage, UHF, various applications, magnetotherapy, laser therapy, cryotherapy can be used. These procedures relax muscle tissue, stop inflammatory processes, improve local blood flow and lymphatic movement, remove swelling, dilate vessels. Often therapeutic exercise, massage is also indicated. Doctors will gradually increase the load on the damaged area, thereby preparing the foot for normal function.As you can see, it is not possible to treat a sprained foot at home. Professional help is required here. Otherwise, you risk living with constant pain, discomfort and limited movement.
If you have faced such a problem, do not think about the question of how long a dislocated leg lasts: in complex situations, you cannot do without the additional help of doctors and rehabilitators. On their own, such injuries do not pass. They leave a negative impact on the body. When a leg injury is recommended to seek professional help as soon as possible, in particular in the medical center ” Prizma” in Kiev. The clinic employs experienced traumatologists, rehabilitation specialists. You will receive comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and recovery, which will allow you to return to a full life without pain and discomfort as quickly as possible.
