Axial view of the shoulder. Description of a technique

Abstract

Shoulder fracture is one of the most frequently treated injuries in trauma centers, with an overall incidence that appears to have increased in recent years, ranging from 219 to 419 cases per 100 000 person-years.

In clinical terms, shoulder girdle injury is difficult to diagnose due to the close relationship between the shoulder and the chest, and imaging identification of the different types of injuries can be challenging.

In this context, X-rays are the most appropriate method and the cornerstone of the initial approach to shoulder trauma, and at least 3 views are recommended: true anteroposterior view (AP), axial or axillary projection or modified axial projection (Velpeau view), and lateral scapula shoulder or Y view. However, patient positioning is often problematic due to the additional pain associated with limb mobilization in order to achieve the proper position for radiographic projection.

The following is the description of a technique for performing an axial shoulder projection that is free of these complications, easy to standardize, and applicable to any traumatic or degenerative disease of the proximal humerus or glenohumeral joint, which, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has not been previously published.