Shoulder Separations

It is football season with hockey not too far behind so we are beginning to see shoulder separation injuries showing up at the Washington University Orthopedic Injury Clinic. Patients always are confused as is the media on the difference between a shoulder separation and a shoulder dislocation. A Shoulder Disloction and its Treatment as previously reviewed on this blog refers to the humeral head (ball) sliding off the glenoid (socket). This frequently needs to be put back in place and frequently requires surgery to prevent future episodes.

A shoulder separation on the other hand is typically treated conservatively and rarely requires surgical reconstruction except in severe circumstances such as the injury Sam Bradford sustained while playing for Oklahoma. The injuries most commonly occur in contact sports but are also frequently seen in cycling injuries when riders fly over the handle bars and land on their shoulder. It is typically a blow to the point of the shoulder that drives the shoulder blade down and stretches or tears the ligaments that connect the collar bone (clavicle). These ligaments are called the coracoclavicular

ligaments and are 2 tough bands running from the collar bone to the coracoid -- a bony prominence projecting from the scapula. It also occurs frequently in hockey when players are checked into the boards or fall and hit the ice. Typically it causes local pain in the shoulder area with limited range of motion and weakness. Initially it is treated with a sling ice. A plain x-ray showing the depressed shoulder blade and ruling out a fracture is all that is necessary. An MRI is not required.

Physical Therapy is begun soon after the injury with a focus on motion and strength. Once the pai n is tolerable and full motion and strength is regained the athlete can return to sports with no long term sequelae except some prominence of the clavicle in that area.

 There are 6 grades of injury with most falling into Grades 1,2 and 3. Grades 1 and 2 are always treated conservativeley. Grade 3 with worse ligament damage and more deformity is still usually handled without surgery. Occasionally throwers or other overhead repetitive workers require repair/reconstruction of the ligaments. Fortunately, despite several injuries of the Type 3 severity with the St. Louis Blues we have never had to perform a surgical reconstruction. Grade 1 injuries typically require 1-2 weeks for recovery, Grade 2 2-4 weeks of recovery and Grade 3 treated without surgery are 6 week injuries.