Shoulder Dislocation: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

  • General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
    • Inspection (viewing).
      • Skin (normal: intact; abrasions/wounds, redness, hematomas (bruises), scars) and mucous membranes.
      • Gait (fluid, limping).
      • Body or joint posture (upright, bent, gentle posture).
      • Muscle atrophies (side comparison!, if necessary circumference measurements).
      • Joint (abrasions/wounds, swelling (tumor), redness (rubor), hyperthermia (calor); injury evidence such as hematoma formation, arthritic joint lumpiness, leg axis assessment) [contour of shoulder is deformed].
    • Palpation (palpation) of prominent bone points, tendons, ligaments; musculature; joint (joint effusion?); soft tissue swelling; tenderness (localization!) [“empty” glenoid: humeral head is not palpable in the glenoid cavity].
    • Assessment of blood flow, motor function, and sensibility:
      • Circulation (palpation of pulses).
      • Motor function: testing of gross strength in lateral comparison.
      • Sensibility (neurological examination): in about 10% of cases, there is damage to the axillary nerve

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.