Abstract
Background: Cases of posterior dislocation or fracture-dislocation of the shoulder
are rare. A combination of posterior dislocation and ipsilateral humeral shaft fracture,
especially a distal third one, is even rarer. In such injuries, the diagnosis of shoulder
dislocation may be missed because great attention is usually given to the fractured
humerus. Objectives: We present this case report to raise awareness among emergency
physicians of this manner of injury. Case report: We present a case report of a 30-year-old
woman who had posterior fracture dislocation of the right shoulder with ipsilateral
distal humeral shaft fracture. The shaft fracture was initially evaluated, internally
reduced, and fixed, whereas the posterior fracture-dislocation of the shoulder was
not recognized. A belated diagnosis was established 1 month after the operation, when
a computed tomography scan was performed because the patient reported continuous pain
and limited range of motion of the shoulder. A second reduction was performed to reduce
the dislocation. The patient had partial functional recovery 1 year later. Conclusions:
Consideration of this condition, coupled with thorough and appropriate physical and
radiological examinations, could lead to improved recognition of such cases.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 20, 2008
Accepted:
January 25,
2008
Received in revised form:
December 12,
2007
Received:
October 26,
2007
Footnotes
This study was approved by the Ethical Board of Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University.
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
