Floating Shoulder and Elbow Injuries
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Car accidents or other high impact collisions can cause what is called a floating shoulder or elbow injury. This is a severe fracture that leaves the bone dislocated making the joint look like it is completely unattached and appears to be “floating.” If you’ve been in an accident and are experiencing pain, call your doctor and then call a personal injury lawyer.
Floating Shoulder
A shoulder fracture along with a clavicle fracture, or broken collarbone, can result in a “floating shoulder.” This unique combination of injuries leaves the joint with no bony contact and makes the shoulder look like it has been dislocated but unable to get back in the socket. Surgery is the most common way to to fix this injury in order to properly replace the bone and stablize the shoulder and clavicle.
Floating Elbow
A floating elbow is similar to a floating shoulder. This occurs when the bones around the elbow are fractured at the joint. With the elbow out of the joint, just like the shoulder, the elbow appears as if it is floating or dislocated from the arm. Receiving prompt medical care for such an injury is always best and retaining full function of the elbow is possible again with the proper treatment and healing.
Symptoms and Treatment
Fractures of this complexity will be very painful. Similar to any bone fracture or dislocation such pain will continue unless the injury is treated. There may even be a deformity or protrusion of the bone in either the shoulder or elbow. The injury also creates a high possibility of damage to the surrounding soft tissue, tendons, and ligaments which will aggravate the pain further. Pain is the most common symptom of both floating shoulder and elbow injuries. Pain management and immobilization in a sling will be the most effective treatments after surgery. Surgery, in such a case, normally consists of plates and nails to stabilize and realign the elbow or shoulder, limiting the chances for reinjury while preforming redumentary tasks.
Common Fractures
Bone fractures are among the most commonly reported traumatic injuries following car accidents, slip and falls, or other accidents. When such a severe collision has occurred, it is common to have multiple breaks or fractures. Multiple breaks occurring at once can lead to the more serious injuries like the floating shoulder and elbow. These injuries need to be treated promptly to avoid further injury and a longer recovery process. It is also important after such an accident to contact a personal injury lawyer as they will not only recommend qualified medical professionals but help you seek financial recovery for the expenses and injuries occurred.
Additional Links on Fractures:
- Car Accidents Involving Shoulder Injuries
- Elbow Fractures in Children
- Common Fractures After a Motor Vehicle Accident
- What is an Open Fracture?
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Car accidents can result in serious injuries. If you or a close loved one has been in an car accident, please call me today at (916) 921-6400 for friendly, free legal advice. I can also be reached on my toll-free line at (800) 404-5400.
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Image Attribution: By © Nevit Dilmen, Medical X-Ray imaging MXK06 nevit.jpg (2011) via Wikimedia Commons. License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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