Ankylosis of the Shoulder After Traumatic Head Injury: A Late Presentation

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the formation of bone in surrounding soft tissue. In the literature, several causes for this phenomenon were mentioned, trauma - including surgery, burns, and traumatic brain injury. HO in a shoulder is not frequently seen after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This relationship between TBI and HO can be explained in many ways. Surgical treatment entails many complications and important anatomical structures are at risk (e.g., axillary nerve). Surgeon must weigh both, risks and benefits and counsel the patient before taking a decision of surgical excision. We present a rare case of ankylosis of the shoulder following a traumatic brain injury.