I want you to think of this joint like a golf ball on a tee.
The head of the humerus being the golf ball and the shoulder socket (i.e.
glenoid fossa) being the tee.
Just like it can be easy for the head of the humerus to dislocate or sublux (e.g.
partial dislocation or malalignment) from the socket of the shoulder.
The socket is much smaller than the contact area of the head of the humerus.
There are two main types of shoulder dislocations: anterior and posterior.
Anterior shoulder dislocations refer to the shoulder popping out the front.
The opposite is a posterior shoulder dislocation where the shoulder pops out the back.
The first mechanism produces an anterior dislocation when falling backwards, and a posterior dislocation when falling forwards.
While both types share a common outcome-dislocation-the clinical picture between the two look very different.
Anterior shoulder dislocations are much more frequent than posterior shoulder dislocations.
The rate of recurrent episodes or instability following first time anterior shoulder dislocations are scary.
It is important to consider the length and position of immobilization after reduction.
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