Shoulder Fractures Treatment
The shoulder is three bones meeting in a small space, and a fall hard enough to break one of them can break any of the three. Which bone broke determines almost everything that follows, since a collarbone fracture, a socket fracture, and a fracture of the ball at the top of the arm bone heal differently, carry different risks, and reach the point of needing surgery at very different thresholds.
Getting that determination right early matters more than it sounds, because several shoulder fractures are treated without surgery successfully and several look similar on a first X ray. Steven Struhl, MD is board certified in orthopedic surgery and separately in sports medicine, has practiced since 1991, and operates at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, among the most established orthopedic specialty hospitals in the country. He treats shoulder injuries at offices in Manhattan and White Plains.
Types of Shoulder Fractures
As an experienced orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Struhl proudly treats the following types of shoulder fractures with surgical and non-surgical treatments in New York City.
When a Shoulder Fracture Needs Surgery
Most shoulder fractures do not require surgery. The considerations that move a fracture toward operative treatment are consistent across all three bones.
- Displacement: how far the fragments have shifted out of their normal alignment.
- Fragment Count: whether the bone broke into two pieces or shattered into several.
- Associated Injury: whether ligaments, the labrum, or the joint surface were damaged as well.
- Patient Demand: what the shoulder needs to do, which differs for an athlete and a retiree.
Dr. Struhl treats that assessment as the whole of the decision rather than a formality, noting that “it is our goal to establish tissue specific diagnosis early in the course of treatment, avoiding the weeks of therapy and repetitive injections that are typically given as initial treatment for orthopedic issues.” – Steven Struhl, MD, Board Certified Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Surgeon
What Happens After a Shoulder Fracture Heals
Bone healing is only part of the recovery. A shoulder immobilized for weeks stiffens, and stiffness after a fracture is a common reason patients still have trouble months later even though the bone united properly. Two complications specifically are worth knowing about, since both are treatable and both are missed regularly.
- Post Traumatic Stiffness: loss of motion from immobilization, which can progress to frozen shoulder.
- Post Traumatic Arthritis: cartilage damage that develops years after a fracture involving the joint surface.
- Osteonecrosis: loss of blood supply to the humeral head, a specific risk after proximal humerus fractures.
- Malunion Or Nonunion: bone that healed in poor position, or that failed to heal at all.
Schedule a Shoulder Fracture Evaluation in New York City
A fracture that was treated in an emergency room is not the same as a fracture that has been followed through healing, and the difference tends to show up months later as stiffness, weakness, or a shoulder that never returned to what it was. Dr. Struhl evaluates acute shoulder fractures and the long term consequences of old ones at his Manhattan and White Plains offices. Call the New York City office at (212) 207-1990 or the Westchester office at (914) 328-4111 to schedule an appointment.
