A Devastating Shoulder Girdle Injury and an Innovative Approach to Management - A Case Report.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction: Scapulothoracic dissociation is a rare, potentially devastating high-energy injury of the shoulder girdle, frequently associated with neurovascular and musculoskeletal injuries. While management primarily focuses on life- and limb-threatening complications, the role of operative skeletal stabilization remains less clearly defined. We present a case of Type I scapulothoracic dissociation with an unstable bifocal disruption of the superior shoulder suspensory complex (SSSC) managed using a customized fixation construct. Case Report: A 35-year-old male sustained a Type I scapulothoracic dissociation following a high-energy motor vehicle collision, associated with a scapular spine-acromion fracture and acromioclavicular joint disruption resulting in an unstable bifocal SSSC injury. Following initial stabilization, operative fixation was performed using a customized contoured infrapectineal plate spanning the scapular spine, acromion, and clavicle, supplemented with coracoclavicular fixation. At 12-month follow-up, the patient achieved satisfactory functional recovery with 120° abduction and 150° forward flexion, without scapulothoracic instability or implant failure. Conclusion: Operative stabilization of scapulothoracic dissociation associated with an unstable bifocal SSSC injury can restore shoulder-girdle stability and facilitate functional recovery. In selected patients, a customized fixation construct may provide a viable solution when conventional fixation strategies are inadequate for the complex injury pattern.
Source: PubMed
Language: English
Subfield: Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225575426