ABSTRACT
A dislocation is a complete disruption of a joint so that the articular surfaces are no longer in contact. Traumatic dislocation usually causes pain, deformity of the involved extremity, and marked limitation of joint motion. Vascular injury can occur in the involved extremity because the joint is forcibly displaced from its anatomic location. Patients with axillary artery injuries resulting from shoulder dislocation experience pain, an expanding hematoma, pulse deficit, peripheral cyanosis, pallor, and neurologic dysfunction. Anterior dislocations typically cause a contusion of the vessel with intimal injury. Diagnosis of arterial injury associated with knee dislocation can be reliably and rapidly made noninvasively with the use of the ankle brachial index. The axillary nerve is the neural structure most commonly injured in association with shoulder dislocations. Axillary nerve injury has been reported to occur with 5%–33% of all shoulder dislocation.
