Shoulder dislocation

It is an injury that happens when the top of the humerus loses contact with the socket of the scapula.

Is a shoulder dislocation the same as a shoulder separation?

No! A shoulder dislocation is often confused with a shoulder separation, but these are two different injuries. It is important to differentiate between these two problems because the issues with management, treatment, and rehabilitation are different.

What happens when you sustain a shoulder dislocation?

The shoulder joint is made of three bones. The arm bone (humerus), the shoulder blade (scapula), and the collarbone (clavicle) all meet up at the top of the shoulder. A shoulder separation occurs when there is an injury to the joint between the scapula and clavicle--this is called an acromioclavicular separation. A shoulder dislocation occurs when there is an injury to the joint between the humerus and scapula.

The joint in between the humerus and scapula, also called the glenohumeral joint, is a ball-and-socket joint--the ball is on the top of the humerus, and this fits into a socket of the shoulder blade called the glenoid. This joint allows us to move our shoulder though an amazing arc of motion--no joint in the body allows more motion than the glenohumeral joint. Unfortunately, by allowing this wide range of motion, the shoulder is not as stable as other joints and because of this, shoulder dislocations are not uncommon injuries.

Symptoms of a shoulder dislocation?

Patients with a shoulder dislocation go through a severe pain. They know something is wrong, but may not know they have sustained a shoulder dislocation.

Symptoms of shoulder dislocation include:

· Loss of the normal rounded contour of the deltoid muscle

· Arm held at the side, usually slightly away from the body with the forearm turned outward

· Shoulder pain

How is the diagnosis of a shoulder dislocation made?

Diagnosis of a shoulder dislocation is usually quite apparent just by examining joint and talking to patient. Patients must be examined to determine if there is any nerve or blood vessel damage. This should be done prior to reduction of the shoulder dislocation. X-rays should be obtained to check for any fracture around the joint, and to determine the pattern of the shoulder dislocation.

For more details please contact:

Dr. Prateek Gupta (Senior Surgeon)

Arthroscopy Surgery Clinic

C2/5 Safdarjung Development Area (SDA),

Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi - 110016

INDIA

Telephones: +91 9810852876, +91 11 26517776

24 x 7 Helpline & Appointment: +91 9810633876

Email: sportsmedicinedelhi@yahoo.com,

sportsmedicineclinics@gmail.com

Website: http://www.sportsmedicineclinicdelhi.com/arthroscopy.htm,

http://www.sportsmedicineclinicdelhi.com,

http://www.arthroscopysurgeryindia.com