Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Dislocations
Dislocations are joint injuries that force the ends of your bones out of position. The cause is often a fall or a blow, sometimes from playing a contact sport. You can dislocate your ankles, knees, shoulders, hips, elbows and jaw. You can also dislocate your finger and toe joints. Dislocated joints often are swollen, very painful and visibly out of place. You may not be able to move it.
A dislocated joint is an emergency. If you have one, seek medical attention. Treatment depends on which joint you dislocate and the severity of the injury. It might include manipulations to reposition your bones, medicine, a splint or sling, and rehabilitation. When properly repositioned, a joint will usually function and move normally again in a few weeks. Once you dislocate a shoulder or kneecap, you are more likely to dislocate it again. Wearing protective gear during sports may help prevent dislocations.
It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles and Injuries and Wounds.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Dislocations
638 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- The Impact of Tibial Tubercle-trochlear Groove Distance and Patellar Height on the Outcome of Isolated Medial Patellofemoral Ligament ReconstructionUniversity of Minnesota
- Evaluation of Using Patient Specific Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Implant Versus Patient Specific Titanium Implant in Treatment of Chronic Condylar Dislocation A Randomized Control TrialCairo University
- Regenerative Medicine for Joint Hypermobility and InstabilityManhattan Pain Medicine, PLLC
- Does Capsuloplasty Reduce External Rotation After Coracoid Impingement?Clinique du Sport, Bordeaux Mérignac
- Wrist Injury Strengthening Exercise (WISE) Versus Usual Care Advice for Improving Pain and FunctionUniversity of Aarhus
- Computer-Assisted Comparison of Hip Socket Volume and Surface Shape After Pediatric Acetabular OsteotomiesIstanbul University
Research already completed
- PrEvention of Posttraumatic Joint contractuRes With Ketotifen 2University of Calgary
- Normative Radiographic Parameters and Growth Curve of Hips Less Than Six Weeks of Gestational Age Using UltrasoundUniversity of California, San Francisco
- Horizontal vs Vertical Scleral Tunnels in Flanged IOL FixationYuzuncu Yil University
- Early Abduction Splintage on Stable Hips in Infants With Developmental Dysplasia of the HipUniversity Hospital, Brest
- Comparison Between Two Techniques of Capsulotomy During Capsulorrhaphy in Cases of Developmental Dysplasia of the HipAssiut University
- Modified Cunningham Technique for Anterior Shoulder DislocationAntalya Health Sciences University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bone X-RayRadiological Society of North America
Treatments and Therapies
- Dislocation: First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: DislocationsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Joint Dislocations. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Dislocations, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.