Stress fracture of the acromion

[Stress fracture of the scapular spine associated with rotator cuff dysfunction: Report of 3 cases and review of the literature]

Scapular spine stress fractures have been scarcely reported in the literature. Their pathomechanics, clinical course and treatment are not well established. We review 3 cases in 2 patients that were associated with cuff dysfunction. On follow-up, none of these fractures progressed to healing. Two of them needed osteosynthesis and bone grafting, and the third one became a painless non-union. The authors propose the combination of 3 factors as a reason for this lesion: a functionally impaired cuff, a greater activation of the muscles with origin and insertion in the spine-acromion and a fragile bone. As we believe that these fractures are unstable, and non-union would be expected, their surgical management is recommended.

Stress injury of the acromion: case report and literature review

We report a case of stress injury of the acromion related to golf practicing in a 40-year-old male. Fractures of the scapula are unusual, with stress injury of the acromion being even rarer. The probable mechanism would be a strong contraction of posterior fibers of the deltoid during golf swing. There are few published reports of similar injuries, and to our knowledge, this is the first to demonstrate its features by magnetic resonance imaging. A review of the literature is also presented.

Acromial stress fracture in a young wheelchair user with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a case report

Acromial stress fractures are rare and have not been highlighted as a potential complication of wheelchair use. We report the case of a 22-year old female wheelchair bound patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease who presented with a four-year history of shoulder pain which impaired mobility and quality of life. Plain radiographs showed a cortical irregularity of the acromion but no double-density sign. After CT scans a non-united acromial stress fracture was diagnosed. She had no other shoulder pathology. The new technique of using a superiorly closing wedge osteotomy with cancellous lag screw fixation was successful in correcting the mobile non-united acromial fragment and resolving her pain.