Conservative treatment of chronic unreduced shoulder dislocations in Cameroon: Key results concerning 33 cases

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic unreduced shoulder dislocations are rare in orthopaedics. The aim of this study is to report how conservative treatment of chronic unreduced shoulder dislocations is done and evaluate the functional outcome in a low-middle income environment. Patients and methods: This was a hospital based prospective observational study carried out from January 2008 to January 2018. Cases of unreduced shoulder dislocations of at least 1 month duration were included in the study. Closed reduction was done by progressive soft maneuvers described by Kocher. Epi Info software was used to analyze this data. Results were represented on tables to ease organization and comprehension. Results: One of the 33 had a bilateral chronic unreduced anterior dislocation. The ages ranged from 21 to 80 years, with a mean age of 42.71 ± 16.13 years. The male to female ratio was 3.2:1. The duration of dislocation ranged from 1 to 120 months. Majority of the cases 79.4% (n = 27) had successful closed reduction. The average score was 78.04/100, representing a good score. Conclusion: Although treatment by non-operative method is a challenge, fair to good functional outcome can be obtained if this procedure is carried out under general anesthesia and adequate relaxation.