Rocket Launcher Technique

For the rocket launcher technique, the practitioner stands on the side of the affected hip and faces the patient's feet. The dislocated hip and knee are flexed to 90°. The patient's hips are typically held down by a sheet or by a second practitioner. The practitioner squats, and the patient's knee is placed on the practitioner's shoulder. The patient's hip is adducted by pressing inward on the knee and is internally rotated by turning the foot out; the practitioner then gently applies traction to the femur by standing from the squat and pulling down on the patient's foot, using the practitioner's shoulder as a fulcrum.