Separated shoulder

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you're at risk of falling on your shoulder, you're at risk of a separated shoulder. The risk is particularly high for athletes — especially those who participate in contact sports, such as football and hockey, and in sports that may involve falls, such as downhill skiing, gymnastics and volleyball.

References
  1. Shoulder separation. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00033. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
  2. Shoulder problems. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/518.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
  3. Koehler SM. Acromioclavicular joint injury (shoulder separation). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
  4. McMahon PJ, et al. Sports Medicine: Acromioclavicular joint injury. In: Skinner HB. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Orthopedics. 4th ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2319233. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
  5. Gutman D, et al. Extremity Trauma: Acromioclavicular Joint Separation. In: Knoop KJ, et al. Atlas of Emergency Medicine. 2nd ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2002. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=784421&searchStr=dislocation+of+acromioclavicular+joint. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.

DS00933

Feb. 7, 2009

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger