Fracture Of The Shoulder Joint

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Fracture of the shoulder joint

Any part of the shoulder, be it the neck, the head of the humerus, or anything else, is prone to injury. As a result, this is what provokes open or closed fractures. A fracture in the area of the shoulder joint is determined by a violation of the integrity of the head, neck or tubercle of the humerus. Such a fracture is not uncommon; on average, it occurs in 15-20% of people. Most often in people aged 45 and older.

Content:

• Causes of a fracture of the shoulder joint
• Types of fractures of the shoulder joint
• Diagnostics
• Shoulder fracture treatment
• Prevention

Shoulder fracture symptoms

The main signs of a fracture of the shoulder joint should be considered:

• painful sensations that become stronger with any movement - active or passive - in the shoulder joint;
• the formation of edema in the place where the injury occurred;
• an increase in the volume of the joint itself;
• the presence of several bruises at the site of injury;
• final dysfunction of the upper limb, which leads to the inability to carry out any movements. This symptom is considered a late stage of fracture development.

The final diagnosis can be made only after an X-ray of the shoulder joint is performed.

Causes of a fracture of the shoulder joint

Fractures of the shoulder joint are most often formed as a result of the application of significant force from the external environment. It should be noted that quite often such a force turns out to be serious precisely in the case when the bone type tissue has already been broken. This greatly facilitates the formation of pathology. Let's say there is a history of osteoporosis, which arose as a result of changes in the hormonal background, too little intake and assimilation of calcium. This also explains the fact that fractures of the shoulder joint are most often formed in people after 50-55 years.

Depending on the point to which the force was applied, a variety of anatomical formations in the shoulder joint can be damaged.

It goes like this:

• a fracture in the neck of the shoulder joint is formed due to a fall on a limb, shoulder or elbow region;
• injury in the area of the tubercle of this joint occurs as a result of a significant and sudden contraction of the muscle that is attached to this area;
• a fracture of the body of the humerus is the result of a fall on a limb or a direct and strong blow.

Types of fractures of the shoulder joint

Shoulder fractures are of different types.

The main norms of this division are as follows:

• clarification of the specific place where the fracture occurred;
• dysfunction of the axis of placement of bone fragments, that is, a joint fracture with or without displacement;
• the presence or absence of any complications, for example, damage to nearby vascular, as well as nerve endings.

Depending on the specific type of fracture, a subsequent algorithm for the treatment and management of the victim should be outlined. In this regard, the determination of a complete and correct diagnosis will be at least half of the success.

Diagnostics

As part of the diagnosis, it is important to differentiate a fracture from, say, sprain and to determine the type of damage, and, therefore, with subsequent treatment. To do this, it is necessary to conduct an X-ray examination, which would indicate the type of fracture, and an examination by the specialist himself is also required.

If we talk about X-rays, it is very important that the images are taken at each of the stages of treatment, it is equally important that they cover the entire segment of the shoulder joint.

Shoulder fracture treatment

In terms of subsequent recovery, the prognosis will be much more favorable in this case, when the lower or distal fragment of the humerus cuts into the head. This case is more favorable, because with this development of events, the risk of displacement or the appearance of complications is significantly reduced. In this regard, it is possible to restrict the fixation of the shoulder joint using a specific bandage (Dezo). Also, there is no need for an operation. Fixation of the shoulder itself should be carried out in a retracted position; for this, a specific roller is placed between the shoulder area and the body itself.

To reduce painful sensations, it is necessary to inject no more than 20 ml of novocaine into the hollow part of the joint, and from the next day the victim must carry out minimal movements with the injured limb.

At the initial stage, these will be:

• simple movements with each of the fingers;
• from the third to the fifth day - movements in the wrist and elbow joints;
• at the end of the second week, it will be necessary to develop the shoulder joint.

It is much more difficult to heal a fracture of the shoulder joint, which is accompanied by a displacement of the head of the bone. In this case, there is a need for an operation. In the process of its implementation, the head must be returned to its place, compared with the articular surface of the scapula region and fixed with sutures, which will dissolve over time by themselves.

After that, all further actions are in many ways similar to those that were described earlier - fixation, progressive increase in the activity of the motor type.

On the subject: Pain in the shoulder joint: what to do?

Prevention

As noted earlier, the development of the shoulder joint after a fracture is given no less important place in the treatment process than fixation of the injured limb. Considering that in a normal state the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the entire human body, and movements in it are performed in each plane, then in case of a fracture, the task of specialists is reduced not only to restoring the integrity of the structure of bone tissues, but also to returning the maximum possible degree of mobility.

For this, doctors prescribe specific sets of exercises with support and additional items (balls, skipping ropes). They make it possible to smoothly and progressively increase not only the volume, but also the amplitude in the motor plan. The entire gymnastic complex must be selected exclusively by the attending physician.

Thus, a fracture of the shoulder joint is a rather complex injury, which, nevertheless, can be cured quickly enough with proper treatment.

Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist

Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.