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Case 1

Anterior Shoulder Dislocation (ABCS Approach):​

A – Alignment

  • Humeral head is displaced anterior and inferior to the glenoid fossa.

  • On AP view, humeral head appears medial and below the glenoid.

  • On Y-scapular view, the humeral head sits anterior to the “Y” junction, confirming dislocation.

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Case courtesy of Jeremy Jones, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 7132

B – Bones

  • Inspect cortical outline of humerus, glenoid, and clavicle for fractures.

  • Common associated fractures: Hill-Sachs lesion (posterolateral humeral head impaction) and Bankart lesion (anteroinferior glenoid rim fracture).

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Case courtesy of Frank Gaillard, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 7506

C – Cartilage/Joint spaces

  • Glenohumeral joint space is disrupted.

  • AC joint usually preserved (but check).

 

S – Soft tissues

  • Soft tissue swelling around the joint.

  • Look for displaced fat pads or calcifications.

  • Consider risk to axillary nerve and vascular structures — though not seen directly, keep in mind clinically.
     

Pearl: Always get post-reduction films to confirm alignment and rule out associated fractures.

 

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