DISLOCATION OF THE PATELLA.
To the Editor of the London Medical Gazette.
Sir,
Having seen a case of dislocation of the patella, reported by Mr. Mayo, in your Journal a few weeks since, in which there was experienced some difficulty in the reduction of the bone, I beg leave to send you the following, in case you may think it worth insertion.
On Saturday last, I was called to a young woman who had dislocated the patella of the left knee joint outwards; the inner edge rested upon the outer surface of the external condyle, and was immoveably fixed, and caused great pain when touched. She says it was occasioned by her foot slipping backwards from one stair to another, and she immediately fell down.
I commenced the reduction, as stated by Mr. Mayo, but I could only produce semiflexion, and that gave her great pain; insomuch that I was obliged to desist, and the patella remained in statu quo. But when the knee was thus semiflexed, I desired my assistant to extend the leg suddenly; and having my fingers on the patella at the time, and pressing it inwards, it immediately returned to its natural position.
I must confess, sir, that I should have been afraid to have continued the flexion as described in Mr. Mayo's case, "by bending the knee to the utmost," fearing that the remedy might be worse than the disease, and the result proved that in this case it was not necessary.
I remain, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
P. M. Hoskings.
168, Fleet-Street,
Dec. 3d, 1828.