Delayed diagnosis of a glenohumeral joint dislocation in a child with developmental delay

Glenohumeral joint dislocations rarely occur in children. Those that have been reported have all been reduced in a closed fashion. With the exception of one, there have not been any comorbidities in the children that would have led to a delay in diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of a child with a delayed diagnosis of an anterior dislocation of the glenohumeral joint that required an open reduction. In a child with other medical problems, especially developmental delay, who may have difficulty expressing his symptoms, early detection and intervention are crucial and may obviate the need for open reduction of the dislocated and painful glenohumeral joint.