Dr. Benjamin Szerlip in Austin, Texas, is skilled in shoulder fracture care options. These include both surgical and nonsurgical treatment approaches. He aims to stabilize and repair damaged joints while improving joint function, strength, and stability.
If you’re looking for an orthopedic shoulder specialist, call Dr. Benjamin Szerlip or request an appointment today.
“I had a tear in my right shoulder, and when I saw him, he clearly explained what had happened to my shoulder and the procedure that would be used to fix it. So far so good in the recovery process as well. I had a few checkup appointments as well to make sure my shoulder was healing properly. Overall, a great doctor.” — Maleo Z.
Shoulder fractures usually occur due to falling onto an outstretched hands or directly falling onto a shoulder. High-impact accidents, such as car crashes or sports injuries, can also lead to shoulder fractures.
Additionally, osteoporosis, a condition causing weak bones, can increase the risk of shoulder fractures, especially in older individuals.
Your shoulder consists of three bones: your humerus, clavicle, and scapula (upper arm bone, collarbone, and shoulder blade).
You can break any of these bones, including the head or shaft of your humerus, or the glenoid or blade of your scapula, during physical trauma such as falls or collisions.
A proximal humerus fracture is a break in the ball or head of your humerus. It’s one of the most common types of shoulder fractures.
Many proximal humerus fractures are mild and non-displaced.
You can also fracture the blade part of your scapula. These fractures usually occur when you fall onto your back or during a high-force collision.
While rare, shoulder blade fractures don’t usually require surgery and heal with full functional return.
You can also fracture the top of your upper arm bone. These fractures range in severity and can often be treated with a sling or brace. However, if the bones are displaced, you may need surgery to reset the bones with a plate and screws.
Fractures are classified as non-displaced or displaced, which means the bone either stays in the correct position or shifts out of place. Shoulder fractures range in severity from hairline fractures to comminuted fractures, where the bone shatters into multiple pieces.
These shoulder injuries can also damage your tendons, labrum, rotator cuff, and ligaments, leading to pain and other complications.
Regardless of the location and type of fracture to your shoulder joint, orthopedic surgeons, like Dr.Szerlip, can evaluate your injury and provide state-of-the-art treatment to repair your shoulder fracture.
Shoulder fractures can cause slightly different symptoms depending on where the break occurs, the extent of the break, and whether other structures are involved.
General symptoms include:
Your symptoms may vary based on the location of your shoulder fracture.
For example, proximal humerus fractures cause severe swelling and limited movement. Clavicle fractures, on the other hand, cause swelling or a bump around the center of the collarbone.
Your shoulder fracture specialist may use X-rays and diagnostic imaging studies, like CT scans or MRIs, to confirm the diagnosis and determine the extent of the fracture.
These tests provide valuable information to help your orthopedic surgeon identify the best treatment to repair your shoulder.
Fractures can be treated either surgically or non-surgically, depending on the area of the joint that’s been injured.
Many fractures of the clavicle (collar bone) or scapula can be treated without surgery, using bracing or splinting to immobilize the area as it heals, as well as ice and medication to control pain and inflammation.
Similarly, if you fracture the humerus (the upper arm bone), your surgeon can treat the fracture without surgery, unless the bone is fragmented or pushed out of place significantly.
If a clavicle or scapula fracture results in fragmentation of the bone, or if the bone is significantly out of place or piercing the skin, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair your shoulder.
If you need surgery for any shoulder fracture, your surgeon may use screws, rods, or plates to hold the injured or fragmented portions of the joint in place. In some cases, a shoulder replacement may be recommended.
Physical therapy is typically prescribed following a shoulder fracture, especially if you need surgery.
During physical therapy, you initially practice stretches and assisted movements to gradually restore your mobility.
As you continue to heal, your physical therapy increases in intensity as you rebuild your strength.
While around 80% of shoulder fractures are non-displaced and don’t need surgical treatment, you should always talk to an orthopedist, such as Dr. Szerlip, about a suspected shoulder fracture.
If you don’t get medical assessment and treatment, you risk your bones healing incorrectly, leading to potentially permanent deformity and chronic pain.
The length of time you can expect for shoulder fracture recovery depends on the severity of your injury.
Mild fractures can heal in as little as six to eight weeks. However, if you have a more severe fracture, you may need several months to fully recover.
IF YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT A SHOULDER FRACTURE GIVE US A CALL OR REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT. We will be glad to help.
