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Posterior dislocation of shoulder

Case contributed by Maulik S Patel
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Left shoulder injury.

Patient Data

Age: 55 years
Gender: Male

There is loss of normal overlapping humeral head over glenoid rim in AP view.

Axial view shows posteriorly placed humeral head in comparison to glenoid fossa.

There is a defect in humeral head due to impaction by the glenoid rim. 

Case Discussion

In the AP shoulder radiograph, diagnosis of anterior dislocation is very easy because of the striking finding of humeral head below coracoid process. But it is not so with posterior dislocation. There is an absence of 'normal overlapping of humeral head and glenoid rim'. It's a subtle finding. It can be missed easily if not looked for.

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