Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2021 Oct 23;13(10):e18996.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.18996. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Emergent Management of Traumatic Posterior Sternoclavicular Joint Dislocation: A Case Report and Literature Review

Xi Chen  1 , Dylan Shafer  2 , Arianna S Neeki  3 , Fanglong Dong  3   4 , James Matiko  3   1 , Michael M Neeki  3   1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Emergent Management of Traumatic Posterior Sternoclavicular Joint Dislocation: A Case Report and Literature Review

Xi Chen et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) dislocation is a rare but serious orthopedic injury. Posterior dislocations are more concerning due to the SCJ's proximity to visceral structures such as the trachea, esophagus, subclavian vessels, and brachial plexus. Due to the potential long-term sequelae of missed diagnosis, clinical suspicion should be high when a patient presents with a compression-type injury to the shoulder girdle and pain or deformity to the SCJ. Here we present a case of a 15-year-old soccer player who presented to the emergency department (ED) after a fall onto his right shoulder with additional compound injuries. A posterior SCJ dislocation diagnosis was suspected and confirmed after a computed tomography scan. A successful closed reduction was done in the ED after consultation with cardiothoracic and orthopedic surgery. This case adds to the body of literature describing diagnosis and management of posterior SCJ dislocations.

Keywords: case report; closed reduction; computed tomography; sternoclavicular joint; traumatic sternoclavicular joint dislocation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A) Anterior-posterior X-ray of the chest on arrival. B) Axial CT view demonstrating posterior dislocation of the right sternoclavicular joint. C) Axial three-dimensional (3D) CT reconstruction. D) Coronal 3D CT reconstruction.
CT: computed tomography, R: right, L: left
Figure 2
Figure 2. A) Reduction technique using percutaneous towel clamp forceps engaging the medial aspect of the dislocated clavicle while the other hand stabilizing the sternum. B) Axial CT showing anatomical reduction of posterior dislocation of the right sternoclavicular joint. C) Post-reduction axial CT reconstruction. D) Post-reduction coronal CT three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction.
CT: computed tomography, R: right, L: left
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sternoclavicular joint dislocation and its management: a review of the literature. Morell DJ, Thyagarajan DS. World J Orthop. 2016;7:244–250. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pediatric posterior sternoclavicular joint injuries. Chaudhry S. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23:468–475. - PubMed
    1. Instability of the sternoclavicular joint: current concepts in classification, treatment and outcomes. Sewell MD, Al-Hadithy N, Le Leu A, Lambert SM. Bone Joint J. 2013;95-B:721–731. - PubMed
    1. Sternoclavicular joint dislocation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sernandez H, Riehl J. J Orthop Trauma. 2019;33:0–5. - PubMed
    1. Posterior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint and epiphyseal disruption of the medial clavicle with posterior displacement in sports participants. Laffosse JM, Espié A, Bonnevialle N, et al. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2010;92:103–109. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources