Minneapolis Broken Scapula Injury Lawyer

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Broken Scapula Information

The shoulder blade (scapula) is a mobile, triangular bone. It is supported and protected by an extensive system of muscles. It takes an extreme, blunt trauma to break the scapula, as in a motor vehicle accident. A broken scapula is often accompanied by broken ribs or damage to the head, spine, or lungs.

Symptoms of a Broken Scapula

The main symptoms of a broken scapula are:

• Intense pain when you attempt to move the arm.
• Extensive swelling around the back of the shoulder.

Your doctor will also have to evaluate and treat any soft-tissue injury, including abrasions, open wound, and muscular damage. It is necessary to seek treatment of a broken scapula. Without treatment, a broken scapula can lead to chronic shoulder pain and eventually disability.

To get a conclusive diagnosis and appropriate treatment regiment, you will need an x-ray and possibly a CT scan. This will allow the doctor to classify the location of the fracture. One or more parts of the scapula may be broken:

• Scapular body
• Scapular neck
• Glenoid
• Acromion
• Coracoid

Treatment of a Broken Scapula

Most people who have suffered a broken scapula will receive nonsurgical treatment. The shoulder needs to be immobilized, usually a sling, while the bone heals. Within the first week following the injury, the doctor will prescribe range of motion exercises. If the shoulder is not kept moving, it is apt to freeze up. It can take 6 months to a year until complete mobility returns.

Some types of scapular fractures may need further evaluation, including fractures of the:

• Glenoid articular surface in which bone has moved out of place significantly.
• Neck of the scapula with severe angular deformity.
• Acromion process with impingement syndrome.

In any of the above scenarios, surgery may be recommended. The doctor will use plates and screws to hold the bone together.

Minneapolis Broken Scapula Injury Lawyer

Our Minneapolis Broken Scapula Injury Attorneys are specialists in the field of personal injury law. Our partners are thorough, aggressive, and persuasive litigators. Call 612-362-0000 or contact us online.