Floating shoulder (FS) is, according to Goss et al, a double disruption of the superior shoulder suspensory complex which usually results from a glenoid neck fracture and a ipsilateral midclavicular fracture. However, the interruption can interest the whole scapular belt from acromion to sterno-clavicular joint. It occurs mostly after a violent traumatism with direct lateral impact on the shoulder. That leads to complex therapeutic issues with sometimes uncertain results. Between 1984 and 2009, 35 patients (30 men, 5 women), mean age 35 years [16–72] with FS, were treated in our department. Most of them sustained road accident (31cases) with polytraumatism context in 12 cases. A CT scan was realized in the majority of cases to specify the scapular fracture and look for intra-thoracic immediate complications. Mostly, glenoid neck fracture associated with a clavicular fracture has been found out (15cases). Orthopaedic treatment has been realized in 18 cases. Surgical management has been decided for open reduction of sterno-clavicular joint in 2 cases, isolated fixation of the clavicle in 9 cases, of the scapula in 3 cases, and of both scapula and clavicle in 3 cases. Criteria for clinical evaluation were an algo-functional scale (Oxford Shoulder Score, OSS), a subjective Constant Shoulder Score, a functional incapacity scale (Shoulder Simple Test, SST), scales of life quality (DASH and SF12) and global indications (Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, SANE).Background
Material
The polyethylene employed is a high density one and it has some chanfers to avoid the cam effect.
HHS before surgery was 45, 83 points on average (from 12 to 79) y post surgery HHS was 80, 03 points (from 37 to 100), increasing the total score after the arthroplasty in a mean of 34, 17 points Post surgery complications were as follow: 3 dislocations (1 after an enormous fall and 2 in patients with Alzheimer. In our series there are 50 patients diagnosed of dementia-Alzheimer); 1 per prosthetic fracture (revision surgery); 4 deep infections (2 acute: lavage+ antibiotherapy; 2 late ones: spacer + antibiotherapy +second time surgery); 2 Deep vein thromboses (Eco Doppler +) ; 10 urinary infections; 2 urinary retentions and 17 deaths.
Those clinical results are hopeful and they could increase the number of actual indications (hip osteoarthritis in people over 70 years old, multiple illnesses associated, iterative dislocations…) for the double mobility implant on the future.