Check-Rein Technique for Management of Neglected Locked Posterior Shoulder Dislocations: Evaluation of Mid-term Outcome of a Novel Technique

Introduction: Neglected locked posterior shoulder dislocations, although rare, are quiet perplexing to manage. Various treatment methods have been explained for their management, but a consensus is still lacking. Besides describing a novel technique for the management of these lesions, this study aims to evaluate the mid-term outcome of this technique. Method: This prospective study involved seven consecutive patients with locked posterior dislocation of the shoulder with humeral defect between 25% and 50%. All patients underwent open reduction of the locked posterior dislocation with the current technique. The final outcome was assessed at a mean follow up of 3.5 years (range 2-5 years) using the DASH score. Result: The mean age of the patients was 32 years (range 21-44) and all were men. The mean time to presentation from initial injury was 2.4 years (range 2-4 years). The patient related outcome as measured by DASH score improved from a preoperative mean of 59.1 to mean value of 8.6 at the time of final follow up. There were no cases of graft pull out, nonunion at the graft site or infection. Conclusion: This technique results in pain-free range of motion with a stable shoulder though a larger sample population with a longer follow up is required to further support our observations.