Asymptomatic anterior shoulder dislocation of 24-year duration

Abstract

A 73-year-old woman presented with a very long-standing anterior dislocation of her right shoulder. She had no pain, mild impairment of active shoulder motion and clinical features suggesting no tear of the rotator cuff. CT 3D reconstructions showed a newly formed glenoid cavity below the coracoid process. This case indicates that an anterior shoulder dislocation lasting even decades may be compatible with an almost normal shoulder function.