Pediatric shoulder trauma

Pediatric shoulder trauma is relatively uncommon. Injuries requiring surgical intervention are even rarer. However, it is important for the practicing orthopaedic surgeon to differentiate nonoperative injuries from the urgent and potentially operative injuries. Missing such an injury in the pediatric population could be potentially life threatening or lead to long-term disability. Posterior sternoclavicular dislocations should be differentiated from medial clavicular physeal injuries and promptly reduced. Open fractures or neurovascular threatening fractures should be attended to immediately. Severely displaced proximal physeal humerus fractures in the older child often have a better long-term outcome after anatomic reduction. Finally, although glenohumeral dislocations, once reduced, are not life threatening or limb threatening, they do have a very high incidence of recurrence in adolescent patients. This should be kept in mind when formulating the treatment plan. If these overall treatment recommendations and plans are adhered to, the majority of pediatric shoulder trauma will result in a good outcome.