Irreducible acute anterior shoulder dislocation due to rotator cuff tear and associated fracture of the greater tuberosity: A method of open reduction and rotator cuff repair

A 67-year-old man sustained an anterior dislocation of his right shoulder following a fall down the stairs. He attended the Casualty Department 4 days after his injury. On examination he had no neurovascular injury. Radiographs confirmed anteroinferior dislocation of the shoulder with a comminuted fracture of the greater tuberosity (Fig. 1). Two attempts at closed reduction, under sedation, failed in the emergency room using Kocher’s man-