Locked posterior dislocation of the shoulder: A report of three cases

Posterior shoulder dislocations account for 4% of all shoulder dislocations. In two-thirds of the cases, the diagnosis is made only once the shoulder is locked, which radically changes the treatment and prognosis. We report three clinical cases of locked posterior shoulder dislocation. Closed reduction was attempted in one case but failed. All patients underwent open reduction and subscapularis transfer according to either Neer's (2 cases) or McLaughlin's technique (1 case). The functional outcome was satisfactory in two cases despite recurrent dislocation on the third day after surgery. The third patient eventually developed post-traumatic shoulder osteoarthritis. The best treatment consists of detecting posterior dislocations immediately when they occur under suggestive circumstances (electrocution, epileptic seizure, severe trauma shoulder).