Shoulder Dislocation

The most common type of shoulder dislocation is anterior dislocation which occurs when the shoulder is moved too far superiorly and posteriorly. Most of the time this happens with some type of fall or running into something too hard. Unfortunately though it can also happen just by reaching for something too high or rotating the shoulder too far backward. Dislocation of the shoulder is the most common type of joint dislocation in the entire body.

Symptoms of a shoulder dislocation include severe pain in the shoulder (DUH!), difficulty moving the affected arm even the slightest bit, and a "mushy" feeling when the shoulder is touched from the side as the humeral head is no longer located in the correct place. It almost feels like the bone has been taken out completely.

For most people, this type of injury means a trip to the hospital where x-rays will be ordered to confirm type and severity of the dislocation. The delay of treatment not only means severe suffering for the patient but can cause permanent damage to the tendons, blood vessels, muscles, and nerves that surround the shoulder joint. While x-rays are the most common diagnostic tool for shoulder dislocations, CT and MRI are both beneficial to evaluate occult fractures or other tissue injuries that may have occurred.

Most shoulder dislocations can be fixed in the emergency room. The patient is given conscious sedation to help them relax and allow the physician to relocate the joint. Of course in more severe cases, the patient must go under general anesthetic and an orthopedic surgeon will relocate the joint under fluoro in surgery.

After a shoulder dislocation has been reduced, the patient will be put in a sling, given pain medication, and most often follow up with an orthopedic doctor. Some injuries can even require physical therapy. The worst part about a shoulder dislocation is that it will most likely happen again due to weakening of the muscles and ligaments that surround the shoulder.

houstonshoulderclinic.com

imagingpathways.health.wa.gov.au

sumerdoc.blogspot.com

emedecinehealth..com/shoulder_dislocation

For this pathology blog I thought I would write about shoulder dislocations as my husband suffers from chronic dislocation of his left shoulder. Approximately 6 years ago he fell and dislocated his left shoulder while working. Since then, he's dislocated it approximately 10 times. The first time it happened, he went to a urgent care facility and they put it in a sling and gave him some pain medication. He had all ready managed to get his shoulder back in place before he arrived. He followed up with an orthopedic surgeon but was basically told they could do nothing for him. So, due to the underlying injuries that occurred to his shoulder ligaments and muscles, every once in a while he'll move his arm too far up and back and out it pops. Luckily for him, he is able to lay flat on the floor get it back in to place. Sounds horrible I know but it's better than making a trip to the emergency room. His shoulder is sore for a few days afterwards but otherwise he suffers no ill effects.... for now anyway... no telling how bad of shape his shoulder will be in as he gets older and continues his very physically demanding job. My husband is kind of accident prone if I've never talked about his adventures before!