Humeral Head Fracture Dislocation with Displacement into the Mediastinum: A Case Report.

CASE: A 70-year-old woman pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle presented with multiple orthopaedic injuries including a humeral head fracture dislocation with a large segment of humeral head located in the mediastinum. Thoracic surgery personnel performed a minimally-invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic extraction of the humeral head, and the patient underwent subsequent reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.

CONCLUSION

Intramediastinal displacement of the humeral head is a rare, yet serious traumatic injury that necessitates early recognition and comanagement with cardiothoracic or thoracic surgery. Early thoracic intervention to extract the humeral head and replacement arthroplasty is an effective treatment modality.