DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF SHOULDER DISLOCATIONS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Background: The shoulder joint is the most frequently dislocated joint in the human body due to its wide range of motion, accounting for approximately 50% of all joint dislocations. This study was designed to retrospectively evaluate the demographic characteristics, etiological factors, treatment methods, surgical outcomes, and recurrence rates in patients with shoulder dislocation. Methods: Between January 2008 and June 2014, 740 patients (1,063 presentations) who presented to the emergency department with shoulder dislocation were retrospectively reviewed. In addition to data obtained from the automation system, supplementary information—including dominant hand, cause of dislocation, post-reduction recurrence, and surgical intervention—was collected via telephone from 248 reachable patients. The data were analyzed in terms of demographic characteristics, dislocation type, reduction method, and complications. Results: The mean patient age was 37.7±19.2 years, with 74.3% being male. Dislocations occurred most frequently in the third decade of life (30.6%), in the dominant arm (64.5%), and in the right shoulder (58.1%). Falls were identified as the primary etiology in 69.8% of cases. Anterior dislocation was detected in 93.1% of cases, and 91.5% were successfully reduced in the emergency department without requiring general anesthesia. While the overall post-reduction recurrence rate was 53.2%, this rate decreased to 15.2% in surgically treated patients. Males were observed to have a significantly higher risk of recurrence. Conclusion: Shoulder dislocations occur more frequently in young males, predominantly in the dominant arm and as anterior-type dislocations. Although surgical treatment significantly reduces recurrence rates, only a small proportion of patients opt for surgical intervention. These findings highlight the need for more active consideration of surgical options in high-risk patients with recurrent dislocations.