Orthopedics Shoulder & Elbow Shoulder Conditions Shoulder Dislocation Symptoms and Treatment By Jonathan Cluett, MD Jonathan Cluett, MD LinkedIn Twitter Jonathan Cluett, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 19, 2022 Medically reviewed by Stuart Hershman, MD Medically reviewed by Stuart Hershman, MD LinkedIn Stuart Hershman, MD, is a board-certified spine surgeon. He specializes in spinal deformity and complex spinal reconstruction. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked by Zerah Isaacs Fact checked by Zerah Isaacs Zerah Isaacs is a technical research assistant with experience in both academic and industry biomedical research. Learn about our editorial process Print A shoulder dislocation is an injury that occurs when the ball of the ball-and-socket shoulder joint is separated from its normal position. The ball comes out of the socket of the shoulder. When this occurs, the ball may stay out of the shoulder and need to be put back into place, or it can slide back into normal position on its own. Science Photo Library / Getty Images How It Happens The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball is on the top of the arm bone (the humerus), and this fits into a socket of the shoulder blade (the scapula) called the glenoid. The shoulder joint is incredible because it allows us to move our shoulder through an amazing arc of motion—no joint in the body allows more motion than the shoulder joint. Unfortunately, by allowing this wide range of motion, the shoulder is not as stable as other joints. Because of this, shoulder instability is not uncommon. A shoulder dislocation generally occurs after an injury such as a fall or a sports-related injury. About 95% of the time, when the shoulder dislocates, the top of the humerus is sitting in front of the shoulder blade—an anterior dislocation. In less than 5% of cases, the top of the humerus is behind the shoulder blade—a posterior dislocation. Posterior dislocations are unusual and seen after injuries such as electrocution or after a seizure. Dislocation or Separation? A shoulder dislocation is often confused with a shoulder separation, but these are two very different injuries. It is important to distinguish these two problems because the issues with management, treatment, and rehabilitation are different. A shoulder separation occurs when the collar bone loses contact with the shoulder blade. Often these words are confused, and the injuries, and more importantly the treatment implications, are very different. Symptoms Patients with a shoulder dislocation are usually in significant pain. They know something is wrong but may not know they have sustained a shoulder dislocation. Symptoms of shoulder dislocation include: Shoulder painArm held at the side, usually slightly away from the body with the forearm turned outwardLoss of the normal rounded contour of the shoulder muscleInability to move the position of the armSwelling of the shoulder Diagnosis of a shoulder dislocation is usually quite apparent just by talking to a patient and examining the joint. Patients must be examined to determine if there is any nerve or blood vessel damage. This should be done prior to repositioning the shoulder dislocation. X-rays should be obtained to check for any broken bone around the joint and to determine the location of the shoulder dislocation. Shoulder Dislocation Treatment There are a number of choices for treatment of a shoulder dislocation, but the most important step is to properly reposition the joint, called reducing the dislocation. Once the shoulder is back in position, appropriate treatment can be determined. The most significant decision is to determine if surgery is necessary to repair the damage in the shoulder. When the shoulder dislocated, something in the shoulder was damaged in order to allow the shoulder to come out of position. Repairing that damage may help prevent repeat dislocations of the shoulder. Your healthcare provider can help you determine the best treatment for your situation. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Cutts S, Prempeh M, Drew S. Anterior shoulder dislocation. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2009;91(1):2-7. doi:10.1308/003588409X359123 Aimé Mbonda Noula., et al. Bilateral recurrent posterior shoulder dislocation on bilateral bankart lesion: case report and literature review. EC Orthopaedics. 2019;10:519-527. Langenbruch L, Rickert C, Gosheger G, et al. Seizure-induced shoulder dislocations – Case series and review of the literature. Seizure. 2019;70:38-42. doi:10.1016/j.seizure.2019.06.025 Kumar YC, Nalini KB, Maini L, Nagaraj P. Bilateral traumatic anterior dislocation of shoulder - a rare entity. J Orthop Case Rep. 2013;3(1):23-25. Olds MK, Ellis R, Parmar P, Kersten P. Who will redislocate his/her shoulder? Predicting recurrent instability following a first traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2019;5(1):e000447. doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000447 Additional Reading Lintner SA, Speer KP. Traumatic anterior glenohumeral instability: the role of arthroscopy. J Am Acad Orthop Surg October 1997;5:233-39. By Jonathan Cluett, MD Jonathan Cluett, MD, is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. He served as assistant team physician to Chivas USA (Major League Soccer) and the United States men's and women's national soccer teams. 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