Medical Disclaimer
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
🚨Emergency? If you have severe symptoms, difficulty breathing, or think it's an emergency, call 000 immediately.
Shoulder Fracture-Dislocations
Shoulder fracture-dislocations are complex injuries combining shoulder dislocation (ball coming out of socket) with fractures of the shoulder bones - most commonly the humeral head (ball), glenoid rim (socket edge), or greater tuberosity (bone bump where rotator cuff attaches) - these injuries occur from high-energy trauma (motor vehicle accidents, falls from height, seizures) causing severe pain, obvious deformity, and inability to move the shoulder, requiring emergency reduction in the emergency department followed by CT scan to assess fracture patterns and determine if surgery is needed to fix displaced bone fragments.
📖What is Shoulder Fracture-Dislocations?
Shoulder fracture-dislocations are complex injuries combining shoulder dislocation (ball coming out of socket) with fractures of the shoulder bones - most commonly the humeral head (ball), glenoid rim (socket edge), or greater tuberosity (bone bump where rotator cuff attaches) - these injuries occur from high-energy trauma (motor vehicle accidents, falls from height, seizures) causing severe pain, obvious deformity, and inability to move the shoulder, requiring emergency reduction in the emergency department followed by CT scan to assess fracture patterns and determine if surgery is needed to fix displaced bone fragments.
🔬What Causes It?
- High-energy trauma (motor vehicle accidents, falls from height) forcing shoulder out of socket with fracturing bones
- Seizures or electric shock causing violent muscle contractions dislocating shoulder posteriorly with humeral head fracture
- Sports injuries (collision sports, skiing) with high force applied to shoulder
- First-time anterior dislocation in older patients (over 40) - bone weaker, higher fracture risk 30-40%
⚠️Risk Factors
You may be at higher risk if:
- Age over 40 years (greater tuberosity fractures in 30-40% of first-time dislocations vs 5% under 40)
- Osteoporosis or poor bone quality (increased fracture risk)
- Seizure disorders (violent muscle contractions cause posterior fracture-dislocations)
- Previous shoulder surgery weakening bone
- High-risk activities (motorcycling, contact sports, skiing)
🛡️Prevention
- ✓Treat osteoporosis (reduces fracture risk if dislocation occurs)
- ✓Proper seizure control with medications (prevents violent muscle contractions causing posterior fracture-dislocations)
- ✓Use protective equipment for high-risk sports (shoulder pads, proper technique)
- ✓Avoid excessive alcohol (reduces falls and risk-taking behavior)
- ✓Strengthen shoulder muscles (rotator cuff and deltoid strength may reduce dislocation risk)