Fractures of the Shoulder

03 Jul Fractures of the Shoulder

Shoulder Fracture – Orthopedist in Nassau County

Your shoulder blade, or scapula, is a triangular shaped bone that is protected by many muscles in order to allow for smooth movement. Making up for less than 1 percent of all broken bones in the United States, breaking or fracturing a shoulder blade is a very uncommon injury. Shoulder fractures are commonly caused by vehicle or motorcycle accidents, extreme falls, or sports accidents. Whatever the case may be, we know that a shoulder blade fracture is painful and our orthopedist in Nassau County at Advanced Orthopedics & Joint Preservation can make sure you get the proper care you need.

Your shoulder blade is made up of many components:

• Glenoid – The socket located where your arm bone connects to your shoulder blade.
• Coracoid – This is the bone that connects your shoulder blade to your collarbone.
• Scapular Body – Considered to be the largest part of the shoulder blade,
• Acromion – This is the part of the shoulder blade that attaches to your collarbone.
• Scapular Neck – This bone is located below your shoulder socket where the bone attaches to the upper-arm bone.

With help from our orthopedist in Nassau County, Dr. Stanislav Avshalumov, we can help you understand your fracture and provide the proper steps for treatment. Symptoms vary based on the part of the shoulder blade that is fractured. If you think you have fractured your shoulder you should look out for the following common symptoms:

• Severe pain when trying to move your arm.
• Inability to lift your arm over your head.
• Physical signs of swelling, bruising, deformity, and skin abrasion on the back of your shoulder blade.
• Pain when breathing in deeply.

Treatment Options

There are at-home steps you can take if you suspect a fracture. This includes icing for 20 minutes at a time and immobilizing your arm, it is important not to move your arm and keep it close to your body. The best solution is to contact a doctor immediately to assess your injury. Doctors will typically provide you with a sling to help immobilize your shoulder until further treatment is provided if needed.

We Can Help

Our orthopedist in Nassau County will conduct an evaluation which includes obtaining a thorough medical history, conducting a physical examination, as well as other tests needed which includes x-rays. This is so we can help determine the severity and type of fracture that you have. If needed, we offer a shoulder replacement service that replaces the damaged part of your shoulder joint with a plastic or metal device, either a prosthesis or artificial joint. Our goal is to make sure you get a comprehensive diagnosis in order to enable an effective treatment plan.  Contact us today so our orthopedist in Nassau County can help you.