Changes in Shoulder Trauma during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A South Korean Survey

This study aimed to investigate the changes in the incidence of shoulder trauma and surgery 1 year after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with social restriction compared with 1 year before the pandemic.

Patients managed in our orthopedic trauma center between February 18, 2020, and February 17, 2021 (COVID-19 period) for shoulder trauma were compared with patients managed for the same duration a year ago (non-COVID-19 period; February 18, 2019, to February 17, 2020). The incidence of shoulder trauma, surgery, and mechanism of injury were compared between these periods.

The total number of shoulder trauma cases was lower in the COVID-19 period than in the non-COVID-19 period, although the difference was not significant (160 vs. 180 cases, p = 0.278). In addition, traumatic shoulder surgeries decreased during the COVID-19 period (57 vs. 69 cases, p = 0.285). The incidence of shoulder trauma according to four diagnostic classifications (contusion, sprain/subluxation, fracture, and dislocation) and fracture/dislocation types did not differ between the periods. During the COVID-19 period, accidental falls outdoors (45 vs. 67, p = 0.038) and sports-related injuries (15 vs. 29, p = 0.035) significantly decreased, but accidental falls at home (52 vs. 37, p = 0.112) increased compared with those during the non-COVID-19 period, although the difference was not significant. The monthly incidence of shoulder trauma decreased 2 months after the first outbreak (significant in March, p = 0.019), then steadily increased and significantly decreased during the second outbreak (August, p = 0.012). However, the third outbreak (December, p = 0.077) had little effect on the incidence of shoulder trauma. The number of monthly traumatic shoulder surgeries showed a similar pattern to the monthly incidence of shoulder trauma.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, annual shoulder trauma cases and surgeries decreased compared to those in the non-COVID-19 period, even though the difference was insignificant. The incidence of shoulder trauma and surgery was significantly reduced in the early COVID-19 period; however, the effect of the pandemic on orthopedic trauma practice was minimal after approximately half a year. Decreases in falls outdoors and sports-related injuries, but an increase in falls at home, were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.