Posterior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint: report of two cases

Abstract

The authors report the cases of two young patients who had suffered a sporting accident with posterior traumatic dislocation of sternoclavicular joint. In one of the patients closed reduction was accomplished by keeping the limb in a sling. The second patient, after reduction was done, presented recurrence of the dislocation, thus requiring surgical treatment. It is important to observe the relevance of computed tomography to help diagnosing, as well as monitoring the reduction procedure. The objective of this study was to demonstrate two different types of treatment in a rare injury such as the posterior dislocation of sternoclavicular joint.

Emergent Management of Traumatic Posterior Sternoclavicular Joint Dislocation: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…First-line diagnostic imaging includes standard radiographs. However, sternoclavicular visualization is difficult due to overlapping shadows of the rib, sternum, and clavicle at the joint [ 6 , 7 ]. Orthopedic consultants usually suggest additional views such as the serendipity view, where the x-ray beam is positioned at a 40-degree cephalic tilt for better visualization of the SCJ [ 1 ].…”