Shoulder Injuries Overview

The shoulder joint is the most frequently dislocated large joint.

The joint predominantly dislocated among large joints.

Displacement of a joint.

The shoulder joint is displaced more often than any other large joint.

The connection between two or more bones.

The most common type of shoulder dislocation, caused by a sudden force applied to the abducted arm, resulting in the humeral head moving downward and tearing the inferior capsule.

Moving the arm away from the body, like raising it out to the side.

The top of the upper arm bone, the part that fits into the shoulder socket.

A tough, fibrous sac surrounding a joint, holding the bones together.

The capsule surrounding the shoulder joint can tear during a dislocation, allowing the humeral head to slip out of place.

A break in the collarbone, the bone connecting the shoulder to the chest.

The clavicle, or collarbone, is the bone that breaks most often in the body.

The clavicle is vulnerable to fractures due to its exposed position and its role in absorbing force.

The clavicle is located between the shoulder blade and the breastbone, making it susceptible to breaks.

The clavicle acts like a shock absorber, taking the brunt of force during falls and impacts.

A break in the narrow area just below the head of the humerus, the bone in your upper arm.

A nerve that runs near the shoulder joint and controls the muscles that help you rotate your arm outward.

Damage to the axillary nerve can cause weakness or difficulty in rotating the arm outward.

A fracture in the surgical neck of the humerus can put pressure on the nearby axillary nerve, potentially damaging it.

Damage to the axillary nerve can lead to weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in rotating the arm outward, causing difficulty in lifting or rotating the arm.

A characteristic deformity of a fractured distal radius, where the forearm and wrist resemble the shape of a dinner fork due to the posterior and superior displacement of the distal fragment.

A break in the lower end of the radius bone, often causing the dinner-fork deformity.

The broken fragment of the radius moves backwards (posteriorly) in a distal radius fracture.

The broken fragment of the radius moves upwards (superiorly) in a distal radius fracture.

The part of the broken radius that is furthest from the elbow.

A type of wrist fracture where the distal end of the radius bone is displaced forward (anteriorly).

The lower end of the radius bone in the forearm.

A wrist fracture where the distal radius bone is displaced forward, the opposite of a Colle's fracture.

A common wrist fracture where the distal radius bone is displaced backward (posteriorly).