Arthroscopic treatment of gunshot wounds to the shoulder

Two cases are presented that demonstrate the utility of arthroscopic intervention for the management of gunshot wounds to the shoulder. The first report involves a 24-year-old man with a retained bullet in his glenohumeral joint after a drive-by shooting The intra-articular bullet was retrieved arthroscopically avoiding chondral injury from the mechanical effects of a loose body as well as the potential local and systemic effects of lead toxicity. Irrigation and debridement was performed to evacuate joint debris, which could have served as a nidus for infection or inflammation. The other case describes a 19-year-old man who sustained a gunshot wound to the lateral portion of his upper arm resulting in a proximal humerus fracture along with a retained bullet in his subacromial space. The bullet was successfully removed arthroscopically avoiding a traditional exposure, which would have complicated his fracture care.