Important factors in recognizing a dislocation or subluxation include a history of experiencing a fall or receiving a blow in a particular joint followed by the sudden onset of loss of function to the involved limb. Immediately after the dislocation, the joint almost always swells significantly and feels painful when pressure is applied (point tenderness). If trauma to the joint causing the dislocation or subluxation is violent in nature, small chips of bone can be torn away with the supporting structures.