The Emergent Evaluation and Treatment of Shoulder, Clavicle, and Humerus Injuries

Abstract

Shoulder pain is a common presentation in the emergency department. The list of differential diagnoses is broad. This article summarizes common diagnoses of shoulder pain, including bony, infectious, and connective tissue pathologies and their proper treatment. It also reviews which shoulder pain conditions are emergency diagnoses and need immediate treatment and which diagnoses need conservative management and outpatient follow-up.

Keywords: Acromioclavicular separation; Clavicle fractures; Proximal humerus fracture; Rotator cuff tears; Septic arthritis; Shoulder dislocations; Shoulder emergencies; Shoulder labral injury.