Partial Knee Replacement

A dislocated shoulder happens when the top of your humerus (the upper arm bone) moves out of the glenoid (the socket of the shoulder joint). This can also injure the area around your shoulder, including muscles, nerves, tendons and blood vessels. Shoulder dislocation usually results from a traumatic injury, such as a sports injury, a fall or a car accident.

Types of Dislocated Shoulders

There are three types of dislocated shoulders:

• Anterior dislocation: The arm comes forward out of the shoulder socket. This is the most common type of shoulder dislocation, and it accounts for 95% of dislocated shoulders.
• Posterior dislocation: The arm comes backward out of the socket. These often happen because of a seizure or electrical shock, though they can occur because of a fall or blow on the front of the shoulder.
• Inferior dislocation: This is a rare dislocation type in which the arm moves downward out of the socket. It can happen because of an injury that pushes the arm down from the shoulder.

We also classify shoulder dislocations as either luxation (complete dislocation) or subluxation (partial dislocation). This helps our orthopedic team understand the best possible treatment options.

Our Shoulder Dislocation Treatment Options

Go to the emergency room right away if you think you have a dislocated shoulder. Don’t try to fix it yourself.

In most cases, we can put your shoulder back into the socket without surgery. This is called a closed reduction. We’ll give you medication to ease your pain and relax your muscles. Then we’ll guide the head of the humerus back into the shoulder socket. You’ll likely be in a sling for one to four weeks, along with ice and physical therapy to strengthen the shoulder muscles and improve range of motion.

If your shoulder remains loose or unstable after a closed reduction, or if you’ve dislocated the same shoulder in the past, you may need surgery to repair the shoulder. Surgery may include tightening or repairing the ligaments that attach your arm to the shoulder blade, as well as repairing any damage to the bone and labrum (the tissue that surrounds the shoulder socket to make it more stable).

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder. They work together to let you lift your arm away from your body and help keep the top of your humerus (the upper arm bone) within the glenoid (the socket of the shoulder joint). A rotator cuff tear is a tear in at least one of these muscles or tendons. 

These injuries can happen for many reasons, from traumatic injuries (like a fall) or overuse to shoulder impingement syndrome or degeneration over time.

Our Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment Options

Your doctor will work with you to find the best treatment for your rotator cuff tear. Although a tear won’t go away on its own, you may be able to relieve your pain and improve your function with nonsurgical treatments, such as:

• Rest (with an arm sling for a time if needed)
• Injections of steroids to reduce pain and swelling
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to ease pain and swelling
• Physical therapy

If conservative treatments aren’t enough, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgical treatment may also be the best option if your work or hobbies include lots of shoulder movement. We offer both arthroscopic (minimally invasive) and open surgical approaches to surgery, depending on your unique needs.

Shoulder bursitis, also known as subacromial bursitis, is a painful condition in which the shoulder’s bursae (small fluid-filled sacs that provide cushioning between bones and tissue in joints) become inflamed (swollen). This can happen from injuries, overuse or other medical conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis).

There are three major types of shoulder bursitis:

• Chronic bursitis: This usually involves painful swelling that comes and goes over time or periods of swelling that can last for months at a time.
• Traumatic bursitis (also known as acute bursitis): This involves rapid painful swelling that usually occurs after an accident or injury.
• Infected bursitis: This is a rare form of shoulder bursitis that can result from a bacterial infection, which can cause discoloration, pain, swelling and fever. Get help right away if you notice these symptoms.

Our Shoulder Bursitis Treatment Options

Most people respond well to nonsurgical treatment for shoulder bursitis. If you have traumatic bursitis, your doctor likely will aspirate the bursa (remove fluid and blood) with a small needle to reduce the swelling. Your doctor may also need to aspirate the bursa if you have infected bursitis, which can help us diagnose the type of infection.

You and your doctor will discuss conservative treatment options for your shoulder bursitis, which may include:

• Rest (including immobilization of the shoulder with a splint)
• Ice
• Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to ease pain and swelling
• Steroid medications, either in pill form or through injections, to reduce pain and swelling
• Physical therapy [link to https://www.stlukes-stl.com/services/therapy-rehabilitation/therapy/physical, page ID 12.30.3.1]

In rare cases, conservative treatments may not be enough to improve your symptoms. If that’s the case, your doctor may recommend surgery. We offer arthroscopic (minimally invasive) surgery to remove an inflamed bursa and/or damaged tissue in the shoulder. If you have infected bursitis, we may need to surgically drain the infected fluid buildup.

In shoulder impingement syndrome, the acromion (top bone) of the shoulder begins to impinge (rub against or pinch) the shoulder’s rotator cuff, which keeps the arm in place within the shoulder joint. This can lead to pain in the shoulder that gets worse during movement.

Your doctor likely will order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan as part of our diagnostic process. Shoulder impingement syndrome can result from a number of factors, including:

• Injuries to the shoulder, such as from a fall, accident or sports injury
• Overuse of the shoulder, such as work or sports that involve pressure on the shoulder

Our Shoulder Impingement Syndrome Treatment Options

You and your doctor will discuss your treatment options and create a plan that’s right for you. Most patients respond well to conservative treatment options, including:

• Rest
• Physical therapy
• Ice
• Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to relieve pain and swelling
• Steroid medications, either in pill form or through injections, to reduce pain and swelling

If these treatments don’t relieve your symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery to ease your pain and restore your motion. Many of these are available as minimally invasive procedures, which involve smaller incisions and faster recovery as compared to traditional open surgery. Surgeries we offer to treat shoulder impingement syndrome include:

• Shoulder arthroscopy (a minimally invasive procedure to create more space in the shoulder joint)
• Rotator cuff repair
• Repair of the labrum (an area of cartilage that lines the shoulder socket and helps keep the shoulder in place)
• Total shoulder replacement surgery, including both anatomic (replacements that resemble the shoulder’s natural ball and socket) and reverse (replacements that switch the placement of the ball and socket portions of the joint, which can help if you have certain injuries to the rotator cuff)