Missed Osteochondral Shear Injury of the Humeral Head Following Anterior Shoulder Dislocation - A Case Report

Case Two months after anterior shoulder dislocation and spontaneous reduction, a 41-year-old man presented movement-related shoulder pain and a functional deficit. An initially missed osteochondral shearing injury of the humeral head with a Bankart lesion was diagnosed. Due to an extensive posteroinferior defect, an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using bioabsorbable chondral darts was performed. At the 1-year follow-up, magnetic resonance images showed a completely healed osteochondral fragment and the patient presented an unrestricted shoulder function. Conclusion Even in missed osteochondral shear injuries, ORIF with bioabsorbable implants can be associated with an excellent functional outcome and sufficient integrity of the fragment. The absorbable implants are biocompatible, therefore the risk of revision surgery due to implant irritations is minimized.