Traumatic Deltoid Rupture Caused by Seatbelt during a Traffic Accident: A Case Report

Abstract

A right-handed 53-year-old man presented with a subcutaneous bruise on his right shoulder caused by a seatbelt during a traffic accident. He had no history of shoulder pain or hydrocortisone injections. The contour of the anterior deltoid was deformed and its belly was retracted distally. The active range of movement of the shoulder was limited to 120 degrees and the strength weakened to 3/5. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated detachment of the anterior fibres of the deltoid. Surgical repair of the deltoid and supraspinatus tendon was performed 2 months later using a pull-out suture technique. After 12 months of follow-up, the patient had returned to work without any problems. Both the range of movement and muscle strength had recovered completely.

Complete distal deltoid muscle detachment: a case report

“…Allen et al [2] reported a traumatic partial posterior deltoid detachment from its origin in a professional cricket player. Chiba et al [9] described the case of proximal traumatic complete rupture of the anterior deltoid caused by a seatbelt following a traffic accident. Yamaguchi et al [5] showed that frequent steroid injections in the shoulder area may lead to the rupture of the deltoid muscle.…”

“…The Conservative management [4] had been recommended for proximal partial deltoid rupture. Others have described good outcome after surgical repair of proximal deltoid rupture [8,9]. Morisawa et al [10] reported a case of massive rotator cuff tear and discontinuity of the deltoid muscle at its origin that was treated non-surgically with intraarticular injection, NSAIDs, and physical therapy.…”

“…This detachment can be spontaneous [3]or induced by repetitive corticosteroid injections in the shoulder [3], massive rotator cuff tear [5] or repair [6], arthroscopic subacromial decompression [7], degeneration, and aging [8] or traumatic event [4,9]. Hereby, we report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of traumatic distal detachment of the deltoid muscle.…”

Traumatic rupture of the posterior deltoid tendon during weight lifting: A case report and review of literature

“… 3 Only a handful of cases have been recorded that involve young active patients who suffered traumatic deltoid tendon ruptures. 4 , 5 , 6 The deltoid originates from the anterior border of the clavicle, acromion, and spine of the scapula, inserting distally at the deltoid tuberosity. Detachment of the deltoid is associated with an acute, sudden onset of shoulder weakness and pain.…”

Commentary: Non-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Diagnosing Shoulder Injuries

“…For example, a rare case of seatbelt injury causing rupture of the deltoid muscle has been diagnosed by MRI. 1 A ganglion cyst in the suprascapular fossa is uncommon and can cause a nerve palsy; noncontrast MRI helps diagnosing this pathology and planning of the surgical procedure. 2 impingement.…”