Luxatio erecta (trauma chest radiograph)

Case contributed by Craig Hacking
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Tree fell on patient.

Patient Data

Age: 60 years
Gender: Female

Multiple left sided displaced rib fractures. Some of these are segmental in keeping with flail chest. Left humeral head is inferior dislocated and abducted, in keeping with luxatio erecta. Loss of T8 vertebral body height suspicious of fracture.

ETT well positioned. Scattered airspace opacities suggesting pulmonary contusions. No pneumothorax. Left apical capping suggesting hemothorax, but may simply be related to the upper rib fractures. No mediastinal shift or widening.

Case Discussion

Trauma CT confirmed all these findings. The left shoulder was then reduced.

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