Dislocated shoulder

A shoulder dislocation, also known as a shoulder “out of socket,” can happen unexpectedly. In the Netherlands, a few thousand shoulder dislocations occur each year. A shoulder dislocation is extremely painful because the joint capsule is stretched to its maximum and pulled apart.

The shoulder joint consists of two parts: a ball and a socket. The ball fits neatly into the socket, allowing the upper arm to rotate and move freely in many directions. In a shoulder dislocation, the ball is no longer correctly positioned in the socket it has slipped out. The surrounding capsules and ligaments may become damaged as a result.