Case Report: Hidden Posterior Dislocation of the Clavicular Head

Reported is a case of a 24-year-old male who presented with left shoulder pain and decreased range of motion of the same shoulder upon awakening, diagnosed with a posterior dislocation of the proximal clavicle, with the clavicular head residing in the mediastinum. In the conscious, ambulatory, young adult it is arguably much more common for major bony trauma involving the upper extremity and shoulder to present with pain, deformity, and a known mechanism. This is an example that lacks all three of these characteristics and highlights the importance of details in the physical examination as well as clinical gestalt.