Isolated Displaced Glenoid Fracture Caused by Minor Trauma: a Case Report

Abstract

The glenoid is a shallow structure in the shoulder joint, facing the humeral head and located lateral to the scapula. Glenoid fossa intra-articular fractures account for only 1% of scapular fractures and are associated with high-energy trauma. An 84-year-old female patient admitted to the emergency department with the complaint of pain in her left arm and inability to move her arm as a result of falling over her shoulder from her own level. On the shoulder radiograph of the patient, a suspicious area that could be a fracture in the glenoid rim was observed. CT revealed a displaced fracture line starting from the glenoid rim and extending to the medial wall of the scapula. Velpau bandage was applied to the patient. Elderly female patients should be carefully examined and necessary imaging should be performed, even if they are exposed to a low-energy trauma to the shoulder girdle (such as falling from one's own level). Computed tomography, which is one of the advanced imaging methods, should be applied when a suspicious image of a glenoid fracture is found on the radiography.