Shoulder Dislocation: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options

The shoulder joint consists of a ball and socket type structure where the upper arm bone, i.e. the humerus is held within the socket which enables rotational and linear movement. When the humerus is moved out of its socket due to external force, it is termed as a ‘shoulder dislocation’.

Shoulder being the most mobile joint of the body is also more susceptible to such injuries. And as it moves in multiple directions, it can get dislocated completely or partially moving forward, backward or downward. However, most dislocations occur towards the front of the shoulder. Additionally, it may get more complicated and painful if the fibrous tissues that join the bones of your shoulder are strained or torn.

Causes:

Only a powerful force such as a sudden direct blow to the joint or hard rotational movements can cause dislocations in shoulders with a normal structure. Such forces are commonly caused by:

Sports injuries: these type of injuries are more common in tackle-type sports like football, rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and stunt-type sports like skiing and gymnastics.

Traumatic Accidents: Sudden accidents like vehicle accidents, and sudden falling or tripping down from a considerable height.

Multidirectional Instability(MDI):

It is an atraumatic condition where the shoulder’s glenohumeral part loosens up in multiple directions due to lack of static ligaments. There is a basic structural abnormality in the tissues of the shoulder.

Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation: Here, the connective tissues that hold the head of the humerus in the shoulder socket become loosened from injury, wear and tear, bone loss from the ball or socket of the shoulder or from previous shoulder dislocations. This results in the shoulder dislocating repeatedly.

Symptoms:

The most common sign is a visibly deformed shoulder joint with intense pain in first time dilocators.

• Visible deformation around the joint
• Sometimes numbness, weakness or tingling near the neck or down the arm
• Muscle spasms around the joint with increasing intensity of pain.
• Inability to move the joint in any direction.

Treatment Options:

Depending on the diagnosis via X-ray examination, the dislocation may be treated in the following ways:

Closed Reduction:

• It is a non-invasive technique where a doctor will move the dislocated joint in gentle manoeuvres to try can lock it back into the original position.
• Of course, depending on the severity of the injury, you will be given a sedative or a general anaesthetic before the closed reduction manipulation.

Immobilization:

• You may be asked to use a special splint or sling for a few weeks to prevent any shoulder movements.
• The duration of splint usage will be judged by the severity of the dislocation and the delay in treatment.

Surgical Treatment:

• If you have weak shoulder ligaments and tend to have recurring shoulder dislocations despite proper strengthening and rehabilitation, you will have to consider the surgical option from a good joint preservation shoulder surgeon / Sports surgeon.
• Surgery is a must in cases where the nerves or blood vessels around the joint are damaged due to the dislocation.

Whenever you start looking for an arthroscopysurgeon, remember these various options and ask the surgeon to guide you through them.

If you’re looking for a shoulderspecialist in Mumbai, then you must pay a visit to Dr Pranjal Kodkani. Being a highly experienced arthroscopy and sports injury specialist, he is widely known to be the most trusted arthroscopysurgeon in Mumbai. Visit Dr Kodkani website to learn more about his treatments and services.