All About Shoulder Dislocation Risk Factors And Treatment

The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the human body. It can turn in many directions, allowing us to position our hands in multiple positions. However, this advantage also makes the shoulder an easy joint to come out of the socket (dislocate).

Shoulder dislocations can be complete or partial, and usually occur after a trauma, such as a fall or motor vehicle collision.

In a complete dislocation, the joint surfaces are completely separated.
In a partial dislocation, the joint surfaces are only partially separated. A partial dislocation is also called a subluxation.
Other potential causes of a shoulder dislocation include seizures and electrocutions. Following a seizure, the shoulder often dislocates backward.

Risk Factors
Some people are born with greater laxity or looseness in their ligaments. These people are at greater risk of dislocating their shoulders.
People who have had shoulder dislocations in the past also have a high risk of future dislocations and these can happen even without an injury. When your shoulder dislocates repeatedly again and again this leads to a condition known as chronic shoulder instability.

A shoulder dislocation should be considered an emergency injury.

The goal of immediate treatment of a dislocated shoulder is to return the elbow to its normal alignment.
The long-term goal is to restore function to the arm.

Surgical Treatment
If the shoulder joint is unable to be put back into socket, or has dislocated multiple times, surgery may be required. Often, a shoulder dislocation needs surgery if there are injuries to the muscles or bones that make up the shoulder.

For ore information consult our expert Dr Ritesh Khokhar at Fortis hospital Mohali