Final answer:
The proper term for an incomplete dislocation of a joint is subluxation. It occurs when the joint surfaces are still partially in contact but misaligned, and it can often be corrected non-surgically with a closed reduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The proper term for an incomplete dislocation of a joint is known as a subluxation. A subluxation occurs when there is a partial disconnection between the articular surfaces of a joint, but the joint surfaces remain partially aligned. This condition typically involves some degree of injury to the ligaments, which are tissues responsible for connecting bones to each other within a joint.
Joints, also known as articulations, are points where adjacent bones or bone and cartilage come together to form a connection. These joints are categorically divided based on their structural characteristics—whether they're bound by fibrous connective tissue or cartilage, or situated within a joint cavity—as well as their functional capacity, namely their range of motion from immobile (synarthrosis) and slightly mobile (amphiarthrosis) to freely movable (diarthrosis).
Subluxation is different from a complete dislocation where the bones are no longer in contact, and it typically requires medical intervention to be corrected, which can sometimes be achieved without surgery through a technique known as closed reduction.