Fracture of the shoulder girdle in multiply injured patients


The combination of a bony injury to the shoulder girdle and damage to the brachial plexus and the subclavian vessels is a rare finding. The cases of this combined injury pattern described in the literature are most notably reported in multiply-injured patients after high velocity trauma.FindingsThree cases were admitted to our hospital after motorcycle accidents resulting in a combination of severe bony injuries to the shoulder girdle, to the subclavian artery and a lesion to the brachial plexus.

Based on these three clinical cases the patterns of injury, as well as primary and secondary treatment approaches are presented.

Conclusion:
The early detection of these injuries can be difficult in given acute, life threatening injuries addressed first in these multiply injured patients. A high level of suspicion, in conjunction with standardized ATLS based institutional protocols for secondary and tertiary survey, should increase the likelihood of a timely detection and early management of these rare but potentially devastating injuries.

Author: Senat KrasniciJörg SchmidtKolja ReimannWolfgang ErtelTobias Topp
Credits/Source: Patient Safety in Surgery 2013, 7:24

Published on: 2013-07-07

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