Subluxation

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A subluxation may refer to:

Medicine

A subluxation^[1] is an incomplete or partial dislocation (Latin: luxatio)^[2] of a joint or organ.^[1] A dislocation of any joint will usually need medical attention to help relocate or reduce the joint. Nursemaid's elbow is the subluxation of the head of the radius in the elbow. Other joints that are prone to subluxations are the shoulders, fingers, kneecaps, and hips affected by hip dysplasia. A spinal subluxation is relatively rare but can sometimes impinge on spinal nerve roots causing symptoms in the areas served by those roots. The World Health Organization considers a subluxation to be a "significant structural displacement, and therefore visible on static imaging studies."^[3]

Ophthalmology

A subluxation refers to ectopia lentis, an ocular condition characterized by a displaced or malpositioned lens within the eye.^[4] Although a relatively rare disorder, subluxated lenses are frequently found in those who have had ocular trauma and those with certain systemic disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and homocystinuria. Some subluxated lenses may require removal, as in the case of those that float freely or those that have opacified to form cataracts.

Chiropractic

A vertebral subluxation is defined by chiropractors as a relatively common condition in which a spinal vertebra has lost its proper juxtaposition with one or both of its neighboring vertebrae. While not as extreme as a luxation, chiropractors believe they interfere with the nervous system. The WHO considers the degree of structural displacement to not necessarily be "visible on static imaging studies."^[3]

References

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