Got a dislocated leg? What should I do first?

Approaching the winter again fraught with falls on slippery areas or sidewalks, which did not have time to sprinkle with sand. But the sand also does not save you from the risk of falling and breaking your knee. Climbing, ceramic tiles, which are covered by the entrance to the institution, for example a clinic or bank, a slippery threshold at the exit from the entrance, an invisible hole on the road, powdered with snow - there are few reasons in winter to fall and dislocate the leg.

Is it a dislocation?

Such troubles can lie in wait for everyone. If a person gets a dislocated leg, what should I do first? First you need to determine what it is - a dislocation or stretching. When the leg is dislocated, it swells, it can not be bent or unbent: severe pain arises. However, the presence of a dislocation can be determined accurately by a specialist, that is, a traumatologist. If a person fell very unsuccessfully, he could get either a fractured leg or a dislocation: the symptoms are almost the same.

First aid

Before you reach the nearest trauma center, you need to take several effective measures:

• You can not straighten the leg, you should leave it in the position in which it was at the time of the fall, and secure it with a bandage to the lining of solid material (the board).
• It is advisable to apply a piece of ice to the bruised area, which must be wrapped in a normal bag (for dryness). At unpleasant sensations of a cold ice clean and then again apply.
• It is not recommended to treat the damaged area yourself. In the clinic they will examine the leg and, if necessary, make an x-ray.

Doctor's actions

The doctor will make a leg of gypsum on his leg, which will have to be worn for several weeks. This is an indispensable measure that the joint is temporarily restricted in movement, and its capsule normally heals.

When the foot is dislocated

The man got a dislocated leg. What if there is an intolerable pain in the ankle, when a person can not step on or move a leg? The pain is accompanied by swelling, bruising, the skin becomes cyanotic and marbled. The patient is not recommended to perform active and passive movements. Actions for first aid do not differ from the above, additionally, the patient is administered local anesthesia, for example, lidocaine or novocaine.

Damage to the meniscus

Professional athletes are waiting for other dangers, and not just dislocated legs. What if, for example, a rupture or damage to the meniscus occurred ? It can be obtained with an unsuccessful turn, sharp bending of the leg in a jump. The knee meniscus is a cartilage in the joint that performs a cushioning and protective action. If damaged, the forecast depends on the complexity of the gap.

Treatment Options

If a person has received such a trauma, then a certain limitation of the motor function awaits him. People who have damaged the knee meniscus should be treated under the supervision of a specialist. Therapy includes several stages:

• On the knee, an elastic bandage is applied.
• Physiotherapeutic procedures.
• Reconstructive surgery.
• Possible surgery to remove a part of the meniscus.

Finally

Be cautious, try not to fall, especially in winter. Then you do not have to ask yourself: "My legs are dislocated, what should I do?"