Less common than the clavicle fractures and AC joint injuries discussed in the previous posts, a fracture of the upper part of the arm (humerus) may occur with a direct fall onto the side of the arm, as well as with rapid twisting motions involving the shoulder.
These injuries may present similarly to other shoulder injuries such as rotator cuff strains (to be covered in a future post), but the telltale sign is significant bruising on the side of the arm. Any traumatic injury to the shoulder region should be x-rayed straight away to rule out a humerus fracture, particularly if this bruising pattern is observed
Despite the name of the bone, these injuries are no laughing matter, and depending on the degree of displacement of the bone, may require surgical intervention. Those treated non-operatively will still require a long period of immobilization, graded rehab program and a slow progression back to full function.
Suffering this injury will unfortunately spell the end of the season, so the focus should be on enjoying some quality onsen time, and managing the injury properly so that you are ready to go for next season.
If you have suffered a shoulder injury on the slopes then contact us now and let us help guide you on the path to recovery. Inquire about our new physio pricing system.
Comments