Sprengel deformity is the main congenital shoulder deformity seen in children. First described by Otto Sprengel in 1891, it consists of a high-riding, dysplastic, and malrotated scapula leading to functional and cosmetic impairments. It has never been reported in siblings.
Case presentation: Two sisters, 8 and 9 years old, presented for an evaluation of atraumatic limitation in the shoulder range of motion and neck webbing with an unknown family history. Physical examination revealed a small high-riding scapula, webbed neck, and painless limitation in shoulder abduction (<70°) and flexion (<80°). The 9-year-old sibling had a bilateral shoulder involvement, and the younger had unilateral. Imaging revealed bony and fibrous omovertebral connections between the dysplastic scapulas and cervical spine along with Klippel-Feil deformities. Both sisters underwent scapula repositioning via a modified Woodward procedure. The omovertebral connection was resected followed by scapula derotation and inferior migration. Both had a dramatic improvement in cosmesis and near-complete restoration of shoulder function at follow-up.
Conclusions: Although uncommon, Sprengel deformity results in notable derangement of shoulder function. If untreated, children experience difficulty with most overhead activities and often have cosmetic reports. Although no previous genetic link has been identified, its presence in biological sisters suggests that more research is needed.
Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.