Shoulder dislocation: Not just for athletes, it can occur after a normal fall. How to deal with it?

Written by Dr. Ayyappan V Nair.

Falls, often during sports activities, can lead to shoulder dislocations, especially among teenagers. A heavy load on the arm can dislocate the shoulder. Dislocations in older people are often found on an outstretched hand while trying to balance during a strange fall.

What is shoulder dislocation?

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and can rotate in many different directions. However, this allows the shoulder to easily come out of the joint. Ligaments hold the shoulder joint in place. These band-like structures lock the ball-and-socket joints in place as the hand moves. Extreme movements, especially on the outside, called abduction or external rotation, can lead to ligament damage and dislocation. A dislocation of the shoulder occurs when the ball (humeral head/humeral bone) separates from the socket (glenoid) of the shoulder during trauma. To dislocate, the labrum and joint capsule are torn away from the attachment site. These injuries are common in contact sports such as football, cricket, soccer, basketball and hockey.

Repetitive overhead movements stretch and weaken the shoulder muscles and ligaments. People with hyperlagia are prone to such injuries.The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that dislocates in any direction when you move your hand during sports, such as bowling. There is a possibility. If a player experiences a dislocated shoulder in his early twenties, it is very likely that the ligaments will be severely damaged and the dislocation repeated.

What happens if the shoulder is dislocated?

When the shoulder is dislocated, some degree of stability is lost despite healing of the ligaments. Recurrent shoulder instability is common in patients who have dislocated the shoulder at a young age.

Anterior dislocation, also called anterior and inferior dislocation, is the most common type of shoulder dislocation. Usually this happens when you fall and land on your shoulder or reach out.

Anterior (anterior) is responsible for approximately 95% of shoulder dislocations. The top of the humerus may also move backward (or posteriorly), moving toward the back of the body, but this is rare. They can arise from a fall or a blow to the arm, such as an anterior dislocation, and as a result of an imbalance in the strength of the rotator cuff muscles or an accident such as an electric shock or seizure. There is. Downward (inferior) dislocations are rare. They are caused by hyperabduction that forces the humeral head against the acromion (highest point of the shoulder). Complications such as fractures and soft tissue injuries occur in this scenario.

How common are such injuries?

Shoulder dislocations are very common and can occur in anyone, not just athletes. Young individuals who engage in high-impact activities that involve repetitive overhead exercises (weightlifting, gymnastics, or swimming) often suffer from shoulder injuries. Certain medical conditions such as joint laxity and connective tissue disorders, and previous shoulder injuries can also cause these dislocations.

With a dislocation, patients usually experience severe pain. Swelling, bruising, painful mobility, and deformity of the joint are all signs of shoulder dislocation. Some patients may also experience numbness, muscle spasms, and tingling.

How to treat a dislocated shoulder injury?

If a patient experiences shoulder dislocation, they should seek prompt medical care. Emergency treatment is essential to return the shoulder to its normal position, called reduction. There are several methods of manually manipulating an injured shoulder to reduce it and return it to its socket.

After a dislocated shoulder has been reduced, rest, ice, and arm immobilization are recommended for several weeks to allow the soft structures to heal. will be It usually takes 3 weeks after reduction to restore range of motion and strengthen the shoulder.

Each time the shoulder dislocates, the ligaments are stretched and torn, causing more damage. If symptoms persist after rest, good immobilization, and physical therapy, shoulder stabilization surgery is a viable option. In such situations, the goal of treatment is to repair or tighten the torn ligaments to stabilize the joint.

Shoulder instability is caused by a number of disorders, including dislocation (when the shoulder is completely out of the joint), subluxation (when the shoulder is partially out of the joint), and laxity. Some people have baseline flaccidity, a normal change, but it can make patients more prone to injury and lead to instability.

Injuries to the shoulder, such as those from strenuous sports or falls, can cause repeated partial or complete dislocation of the shoulder joint. Own original position. These shoulder joints are considered unstable and require further intervention in the form of surgery that can be performed arthroscopically (keyhole surgery) in which many procedures are performed depending on the degree of injury. It may be soft tissue tightening and repair (Bankarts procedure) (arthroscopic latarjet procedure) with or without bone correction that uses bone adjacent to the shoulder to increase glenoid surface area.