Chronic unreduced anterior shoulder dislocation: application of anatomy to forensic identification

The uniqueness of anatomic structures and their variations provide the basis for forensic identification. During the identification process of 1991-1995 Croatian war victims, forensic pathologists and forensic anthropologists were faced with the problem of incomplete skeletal remains and insufficient premortem medical data. Here we present a case of anterior shoulder dislocation, which was a key confirmation in the identification of a war victim. In our case, anterior shoulder dislocation was not medically treated for 15 years, and the changes in the glenoid cavity and coracoid process indicated morphologic adaptation of anatomic structures to the new mechanical and physiological demands.