Subtraction osteotomy of the humeral head in posterior shoulder dislocation: a case report

Locked posterior dislocations of the shoulder with an impacted fracture of the humeral head and an articular surface defect greater than 35-40% are generally treated with a femoral head bone graft or prosthesis. We present a case in which a subtraction osteotomy with osteoclasia on the impacted zone was performed to try to make the articular surface of the humeral head congruent and continuous. With a 42-month follow-up, the clinical outcome, in terms of mobility and pain, was very good; X-rays show there was no avascular necrosis of the humeral head nor signs of articular arthrosis. The aim of this work is to present a detailed description of our procedure, which can be a therapeutic option for this type of pathology.