Intrathoracic shoulder dislocation causing rupture of the right main bronchus

An intrathoracic shoulder dislocation is a rare injury, usually the result of high-energy trauma [Hawkes et al. in Am J Orthop 43(4):E74–E78, 2014; Tsai et al. in Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 20:592–594, 2014, in Rupprecht et al. Bull Emerg Trauma 5(3):212–214, 2017; Abellan et al. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong)18(2):254–257, 2010]. It often occurs in conjunction with thoracic, pelvic, and long bone injuries. In addition, there is often significant injuries to the shoulder girdle and chest wall associated with neurovascular compromise [Abellan et al. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong)18(2):254–257, 2010; Lin et al. JBJS Case Connect 6(1):e61, 2016]. Following a literature review, it appears that no cases have been reported of an intrathoracic shoulder dislocation associated with a rupture of the ipsilateral main bronchus. We present a case of a rupture of the right main bronchus that occurred due to high-energy impact and an associated intrathoracic right-shoulder fracture dislocation. Computed tomography identified diastasis of the ipsilateral first intercostal space, humeral head indentation in the hilum of the lung, and a pneumoarthrogram of the right glenohumeral joint.