Fracture dislocation of the humerus with intrathoracic humeral head fragment – A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

We present a rare case of humeral fracture dislocation with intrathoracic humeral head fragment. A 74-year old female was transferred to a major trauma facility after falling on her arm while gardening. An intrathoracic humeral head fragment was diagnosed after initial imaging. In correspondence with the department of thoracic surgery, the decision was made to remove the intrathoracic fragment thoracoscopically and succeed with a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.

Keywords

• Humeral fracture
• Reverse shoulder arthroplasty
• Fracture dislocation
• Intrathoracic humeral head fragment