One-step Bilateral Reverse Shoulder Replacement for Posterior Fracture-dislocation in a Young Alcoholic

Introduction: Bilateral posterior fracture-dislocations of the shoulders occur quite rarely. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case happening to a young man subjected with bilateral reverse shoulder replacement surgery in a one-step procedure.

Case report: The authors present the case of a Caucasian, 49, alcoholic, male affected by bilateral proximal humeral fracture with posterior dislocation, provoked by an epileptic seizure, and admitted to our hospital. The patient underwent one-step bilateral reverse total shoulder replacement surgery, due the comminution of the fracture and osteopenic pattern. He carried bilateral slings for 1 month after surgery, and after the post-operative radiological evaluation at 1 month, he started with progressive active physiotherapy.

Conclusion: Opting for a total replacement instead of osteosynthesis is a valuable option in patients presenting with dislocation-comminuted fractures and alcohol intake induced osteoporosis, even if young.