First aid and treatment for ankle dislocation

Ankle joint of any person is a special block consisting of two ankles, talus and ligaments and tendons. The term ankle is the distal end of the fibula and tibia of the .

Most of the loads in everyday movements are due to this joint, which leads to various traumatizations of this part of the limbs, from stretching the ligaments and ending with a complex fracture. And most often a man has a dislocation of the ankle, that is a way out of his normal location forming the ankle joint of bones .

Injury occurs when the foot is placed incorrectly, and this can happen during jumping, during running, when wearing poorly selected shoes, especially in young girls who prefer to wear shoes on high and uncomfortable heels.

dislocation Symptoms and signs of dislocation

The main and very first symptom of an ankle dislocation is the pain of , it can be either completely insignificant orintensive, not allowing to step on the damaged limb.

After a few minutes or hours from the time of trauma, deformity of the ankle develops and due to the exit of bones from its location and edema, and also the emergence of extensive hematoma due to rupture of small capillaries. Finding the degree of dislocation of the traumatologist takes into account the nature of the trauma, visible changes in the joint, the severity of the symptoms.

Symptomatic for the degree of injury

1. The mild degree of of an ankle dislocation is indicated if only the ligaments are affected by the injury. At the time of unsuccessful location of the joint, they simply stretch, and there is a slight pain, not a pronounced deformation and discomfort when walking.
2. Average degree of dislocation - incomplete rupture of ligaments. The patient complains of severe pain, while the examination of the ankle is deformed, the tumor can descend to the foot, movements are difficult and cause severe pain.
3. The severe degree of is characterized by a complete rupture of tendons, which leads to the exit of bones from the joint. When examined, a significant hematoma or swelling that spreads to the top and to the bottom of the ankle is revealed. The pain is intense, it gives restlessness at rest and sharply increases during movement. The injured person can not perform flexion and extension of the shin, walking is not possible. A severe degree of dislocation can be determined already at the time of not successful turn-up of the foot, with such trauma a peculiar click is heard, which indicates the displacement of the bone.

Severe pain, swelling and tenderness in motion make a person assume that he has a fracture. Indeed, between these two injuries there is a similarity in symptoms and a traumatologist to confirm the diagnosis is always obliged to send his patient to a picture. But there are also characteristic clinical and morphological signs of , which will help to almost always correctly set a preliminary diagnosis.

Differences of dislocation from fracture

• The pain in the dislocation of appears almost immediately in the damaged area at the time of the injury. Fracture, although considered the most severe deformation of bones, but leads to the development of pain after only a few minutes. The thing is that with a fracture in a person there is a shock state and the adrenaline released at the same time partially blocks pain receptors.
• When dislocation of the ankle is determined by the limitation of movements, with a fracture there is a reverse pathological mobility. In some cases, the patient with an ankle fracture can move independently for several hours, but this is strictly prohibited.
• Edema in the dislocation begins to appear after several hours and can spread to the entire foot, including the plantar area. In case of a fracture, edema often occurs on the second day and is fixed only over the site of the injury.
• With a severe dislocation and fracture under the skin, prominent parts of the bone are visible. If their palpation appears sharp pain, then this is likely a fracture.
• To one of the distinctive signs of fracture and dislocation, refers to the shortening of the limb. In case of a fracture, the bone deforms, shifts, moves to the side, all this leads to a seemingly shortening of the leg.

First aid to the injured person

First aid for the ankle dislocated in the first hours after the injury depends not only on the overall well-being of the person, but also on the degree of pathological changes in the joint in the future.

Trauma doctors have developed certain criteria for emergency care with dislocations, these principles can be used by people around traumatized people.

The primary measures of to be taken when suspicion of a dislocation are as follows:

1. Cold. The ice compress applied to the ankle significantly reduces soreness and prevents swelling. As a compress, you can use not only ice, but also any frozen products, chilled water in the refrigerator. It is necessary to wrap the selected product in tissue and apply it to the source of pain, even better if the shin is wrapped in a cold compress around the circle. Cold is applied immediately after the injury. Ice is kept on the shins for no more than 20 minutes, then it is done for an hour-long break, this is necessary to prevent strong cooling of the tissues.
2. Fixation. A damaged limb should provide complete rest, this will prevent further deformation of the joint. On the limb, it is necessary to impose an elastic bandage, ensuring the immobility of the ankle and foot. The dressing should not be too tight, as this will lead to a violation of blood circulation. With proper bandaging, the sensitivity on the foot should be maintained.
3. The foot should be given a slightly elevated position , placing under the joint a roller of soft tools - cushions, rolled up clothes.
4. In case of severe pain before going to the doctor, needs to drink an analgesic tablet - Analgin, Baralgin.
5. For movements, should use crutches , it is strictly forbidden to step on the sole.
6. In case of severe pain and impossibility of self-transportation, should be called up with an ambulance.

Therefore, it must be taken into account that some manipulations and types of care for ankle dislocation to produce is highly undesirable.

What not to do with a dislocation

1. To direct dislocation by own forces .Ignorance of the anatomy of the ankle joint will lead to rupture of small capillaries and damage to a number of located nerves.
2. Do not try to tighten the limb .
3. After getting an injury, some people try to remove the pain with the use of alcohol , it should not be done. It is possible that to correct the ankle, the doctor will need to give a general anesthesia, and the intake of liquids and food will adversely affect the patient's condition and significantly delay the time of surgical intervention.

Injury therapy

Treatment for an ankle dislocation is not just for first aid. In order for the bones to assume a normal anatomical location, and the ligaments quickly and without complications assume their normal form, requires specific therapy.

• The reinforcement is the main method of treatment for severe dislocation severity. Surgical intervention, in the absence of contraindications, is performed after general anesthesia.
• After repositioning , a fixative dressing or a gypsum lingeta is applied for approximately 10 days and up to three weeks.
• Anti-inflammatory therapy is needed to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Use drugs NSAIDs.
• Ointments - pain relievers and anti-inflammatory ointments are also one of the means of reducing swelling and pain.
• Physiotherapeutic procedures are appointed after removal of the longa. Their course application allows faster recovery mobility in the damaged joint.
• Homeopathic medications are rarely prescribed in official medicine. If you decide to use them, then you must choose the means that improve blood circulation, relieve inflammation and pain.
• In the period of pain, you can use analgesics different groups.
• Rapid regeneration of injured tissues is achieved through the intake of vitamins and biogenic stimulants .

Folk methods for the treatment of ankle injury

After about three days, the injured joint should be warmed up. The easiest way to do this is by applying compresses from the broths of various anti-inflammatory herbs.

During night rest it is necessary to give the limbs an elevated position, this reduces the swelling and therefore relieves soreness.

Features of dislocation in children

Dislocations of the ankle in children under 5 years are relatively rare compared to older children.

This is explained by the anatomical features of the elastic muscular - ligament apparatus and the small weight of the child. At the same time, the baby, in comparison with adults, in the process of injury is more likely to develop degenerative changes.

After a few days, the muscle tissue begins to be replaced by a tendon, , the dislocation direction occurs with the difficulties of , and the full treatment of the joint will take a long time. Therefore, any leg injuries received by the child should be examined by a qualified specialist immediately.

Preventive measures

In most cases, everyone can prevent an ankle dislocation, for this it is necessary: ​​

1. Wear comfortable shoes , selected by size. This is especially true for people who are actively involved in sports.
2. It is necessary to perform strengthening gymnastics for ankle muscles.
3. People in the age of need to take special additives , strengthening muscles and bones.
4. Large weight is also one of the causes of dislocations. Therefore, the weight loss is one of the measures to prevent injuries to the lower limbs.

Video: How to dislocate the