A 17-year-old female dislocated her patella while playing soccer. Her knee is flexed and she complains of severe pain. You should:

• A. Make one attempt to return the patella to its normal position.
• B. Gently straighten her knee and apply a padded board splint.
• C. Keep her knee flexed and secure it with padded board splints.
• D. Flex her knee slightly more and assess for distal circulation.

Answer: (C)

When a patellar dislocation is suspected, the priority is to minimize movement and protect the knee until professional care can relocate it if needed. Keeping the knee in its current position—often flexed—helps reduce further injury to soft tissues, nerves, and blood vessels and lessens pain during transport. Immobilizing the leg with a padded board splint provides firm stabilization from thigh to ankle, preventing jostling and allowing safe travel to a facility where a proper reduction can be performed if indicated.

Avoid attempting to straighten or manipulate the patella in the field, and avoid flexing the knee further, as these actions can worsen injury. It’s also important to check distal circulation and sensation before and after immobilization to ensure blood flow and nerve function are preserved while the leg is secured.