Implementation of a Prehospital Patella Dislocation Reduction Protocol.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Emergency Medicine
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Acute patella dislocations represent a significant portion of knee injuries.
• Prehospital care typically involves immobilization and pain management, but wilderness settings often require basic life support providers to perform reductions.
• Patella reduction was incorporated into EMT scope of practice in New York State.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the mechanisms of patella-related injuries.
• To evaluate the success rate of prehospital patella reduction.
• To identify any complications associated with this protocol.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of a quality assurance database.
• Inclusion of cases where patella reduction was attempted between October 2016 and June 2018.
• Data collected from 52 EMS agencies.

Main Results:

• 90 patients underwent attempted patella reduction.
• Sports-related injuries were the most common cause.
• Successful reduction in 92.2% of cases (83/90).
• Median pain score decreased from 10 to 2.
• No complications were reported.

Conclusions:

• Prehospital patella reduction by EMS providers is feasible.
• The procedure demonstrates a high success rate and significant pain relief.
• Preliminary evidence suggests infrequent complications.