This X-ray image shows my shoulder in a
full anterior
dislocation position.
The ball of the Humerus (arm bone) is
stuck in front
of the
Scapula (shoulder bone) about two inches
from where it
should be.
This X-ray image was taken after the
shoulder had been
put back in place (called a shoulder
“reduction”).
1. The dimple is caused by the
humerus bone being
absent.
2. The small bulge is where the
top of the humerus
is while dislocated.
The cool thing is that because this
condition is externally
visible,
emergency room waiting times are greatly
reduced!
What the X-rays do not show is
the soft tissue.
Along with the bone being about two inches
out of position,
all of the muscles,
tendons, and ligaments attached to the
humerus and scapula
are also stretched out by an inch or more.
This stretching causes great pain after
the first few
minutes requiring the “reduction” to be done under
“conscious sedation” in the emergency room
(which is
not the same thing as a “general” anesthetic).
The resulting damage to the
Capsule, Glenoid, and Labrum
make the shoulder “unstable”
and susceptible to additional
dislocations. In
addition, multiple dislocations can cause a lesion or fracture
(a groove called a Hills-Sachs lesion) in
the ball of
the Humerus (Humeral Head) which increases the instability.
(I don’t know if these X-rays show it, but
I have been
diagnosed with having a Hills-Sachs lesion
based on more detailed X-rays taken after
the October,
2006 incident.)
Note: These images were
not “Photoshopped”.
OK, actually I did use PhotoShop to add the arrows and text.
However the bone positions were not
altered at all, thus
proving that the humerus can do things that are not
humorous at all!
History
10/17/1991 – Original dislocation (Aragon
High
School,
San Mateo, reduction by Pete)
11/19/1994 – 2nd dislocation (Singapore)
3/11/1996 – 3rd dislocation (Dallas, Texas)
10/8/1996 – First Surgery (Bankhart repair, Dr. Casanave, Santa Clara Kaiser)
7/17/1998 – 4th dislocation (Huddard Park, Redwood City Kaiser)
8/30/1998 – 5th dislocation (San Diego, Pete’s Wedding, partial, reduction by myself.)
9/17/1998 – Second Surgery (Bankhart repair, Dr. Casanave, Santa Clara Kaiser)
10/7/2006 – 6th dislocation (Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA, Oakland Kaiser)
6/13/2009 – 7th dislocation (San Jose CA, [NEW] Santa Clara Kaiser)
8/8/2015 - 8th dislocation (Flagstaff Arizona, Extreme Adventure Park, Flagstaff Hospital)
4/8/2016 - 9th dislocation (At home in kitchen cleaning low cabinet. FIRST full self-reduction)
9/16/2017 - 10th dislocation
(Santa Cruz at Yemanja Festival.
SECOND full self-reduction)
Note: Tuesday after that Saturday was one of the greatest pain days
ever!
2/10/2018 - 11th and 12th
dislocations
(Luis and Fabi's House, Sunnyvale, CA.
THIRD and FORTH full self-reduction)
Note: Rookie move. Made touchdown victory sign and had it come out
twice in less that five minutes.