Proximal humeral fracture-dislocation with axillary artery involvement treated with reverse shoulder arthroplasty

Proximal humeral fractures are extremely common fracture patterns in the elderly population.1,2,4,6,7 These fractures typically occur without any associated neurologic or vascular injuries. A smaller subset has been reported to be accompanied by brachial neuropathy, which usually resolves with time. Axillary artery injury has been reported but is a much rarer event. Axillary artery injuries typically result from medial displacement of the proximal humeral shaft at the time of injury. We report a patient with a proximal humeral fracture-dislocation that involved a near axillary artery injury and an axillary nerve injury.