Anterior dislocation of the shoulder, a simple and effective method of reduction.

Abstract

The reduction of anterior dislocation of the shoulder is frequently regarded as a hospital procedure requiring general anesthesia and some type of manipulation. It is our purpose to call attention to a simple, effective, atraumatic method of reduction of anterior dislocation of the shoulder without the necessity of general anesthesia. The two most widely employed methods described in current textbooks 1 are the Kocher maneuver and the Hippocratic method. Both frequently require general anesthesia, which may invite vigorous manipulation. The latter has been known to cause fracture of the neck of an osteoporotic humerus and trauma to the brachial plexus. Technique In 1899, 2 Stimson first utilized a procedure for reduction of anterior shoulder dislocations that required neither a general anesthetic nor active manipulation. The patient was placed on a specially constructed canvas cot, and the involved arm was allowed to hang through a hole cut in one end of