Common Shoulder Dislocation Can Be Healed Without Surgery

"uneven shoulder after shoulder dislocation"

The only inconvenience with non-surgical interventions is the aesthetics one.

(Mirror Daily – United States) – A recent study in the journal of Orthopedic Trauma suggests common shoulder dislocation can be healed without surgery. Patients, who took part in the experiment had a much faster and better recovery if they did not undergo surgical interventions, medical experts have explained.

Common shoulder dislocations, scientifically called acromio-clavicular joint dislocation, are usually treated with surgical interventions. These procedures presuppose that patients’ shoulder is placed in the correct position. In addition, patients receive a plate and a screw which helps keep the bones in place.

Following recent observations, scientists wanted to establish whether the same results may be obtained if patients undergo no surgical interventions. Researchers have gathered a group of 83 people, who have suffered shoulder dislocations. 40 patients have been treated through surgical procedures, whereas 43 of them were only rehabilitated with the help of a sling.

At the end of the experiment, researchers have noticed that patients, who had their shoulders kept in place by the sling, had a much faster recovery than the rest of the participants. 75 percent of them were able to return to work in a surprisingly short period of time.

At the opposite pole, only 43 percent participants, who underwent AC joint surgical intervention could go back to work. Moreover, some patients experienced post-surgical complications, including the loss of the plates, the development of deeper wounds and post-surgical infections. The non-surgical group experiences only two cases of complications as a result of repeated injuries.

When comparing the aesthetics effects, scientists declared the surgical group the winning team. Most participants, who underwent surgical intervention were very pleased with the way their shoulders looked, whereas people in the non-surgical group were generally unpleased with the results. They complained that their shoulders looked uneven and had to resort to different techniques to mask the difference.

In spite of the unpleasant look, medical experts think the new experiment has helped suggest a new treatment for common shoulder dislocations that does not involve surgical interventions. This new option is much faster and effective than the regular treatment considering that patients can resume their activity after a brief period of time. Scientists think patients should receive counseling on the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods before opting for one of them.

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John Birks

John holds a diploma in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He covers the technology, social media, green business, eco-travel, politics, arts culture.