[Arthroscopic-assisted management of intra-articular scapular fractures in a rugby player]

Scapular fractures are a rare injury entity accounting for 0,4-1 % of all fractures and 3-5 % of fractures involving the shoulder girdle. This study focuses on a 29-year-old male patient who sustained an intraarticular scapular fracture during a "Rugby Bundesliga" match after direct impact with another player. The clinical and radiological examinations showed a dislocated multifragmentary transverse scapular fracture involving the superior border, the medial border and the glenoid (Euler and Rüedi D2b/AO 14 F1.3e). The patient was subjected to arthroscopic surgery and underwent early postoperative functional rehabilitation without weight-bearing and with a limited range of motion of 90° abduction/anteversion. In the first match of the second half of the season (5 months post-operatively), the patient was available to play, and in the clinical follow-up 6 months post-operatively, he was pain-free with excellent clinical results (CS 100 pt, SSV 98 %, OSS 12 pt, ASES 100 pt). No pain or restrictions in the range of motion were reported. In conclusion, the arthroscopic-assisted management of intra-articular scapular fractures is a safe and effective choice of treatment in young and active patients.