Patient Education: Diseases Conditions Treatments & Procedures

Dislocation

Introduction

A joint is a point where two or more of your bones come together. A dislocation is an injury to your joint in which the ends of your bones are forced from their normal positions. The injury temporarily deforms and immobilizes your joint and may result in sudden and severe pain.

Dislocations may occur in your major joints - shoulder, hip, knee, elbow and ankle - or in the smaller joints in your fingers, thumbs and toes. The cause is usually trauma, such as a fall or a hard blow.