The shoulder joint – a ball-in-socket mechanism, with the round top of the arm bone fitting into a groove in the shoulder blade – is the most mobile joint in the body.A shoulder dislocation occurs when the round ball at the top of the upper arm bone, or humerus, leaves the socket in the shoulder blade, or scapula. That means the ball and socket bones of the shoulder are separated, with the ball of the humerus out of position.
Cause
A shoulder dislocation is usually caused by a fall or blow to the shoulder. This can happen during sports activities. Dislocated shoulders are more common in teens than older adults.Once a shoulder is dislocated, it’s more likely to feel unstable, or dislocate again. Further, the shoulder is easier to dislocate with each subsequent injury. This is largely due to a tear on the soft tissue restraints (Labrum) of the shoulder joint.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is extreme pain on the shoulder joint. Usually associated with swelling, muscle spasms, numbness or tingling and difficulty moving the arm.
Diagnosis
Diagnosed clinically through patient history and physical examination and later confirmed with imaging studies such as Radiographs, CT-scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Treatment
If the shoulder is dislocated for the first time, treatment is usually conservative. The shoulder is put back in placed by reduction maneuver under qualified medical personnel. Once pain and swelling subsides, patients are referred to physical therapy for shoulder muscle strengthening, which will help restore the stability of the shoulder joint.If however the shoulder joint remains to be unstable with several episodes of dislocation, current best proven treatment would be to stabilize the shoulder joint through Arthroscopic Shoulder Labral Repair (Bankart Surgery) or Laterjet depending on patient factors