The patella is one of three bones that make up the knee joint: the femur, tibia, and patella. It is the protective bone found at the front of the joint.
A dislocation occurs when the patella slides laterally out of position. This can happen from severe twisting of the knee, usually in young people doing athletic events. It can also occur from a direct blow to the knee, but this is rare. It occurs more often in women than and men. With a patella dislocation, you will see an obvious lateral deformity; the patient will experience considerable pain and be unable to bear weight.
This video was presented in the New Hampshire Pre-Hospital Patient Care Protocols v9 and served as an informal reference regarding the treatment of a patella dislocation.
