Case report of an isolated fracture of the anatomic neck of the scapula

Abstract

Isolated fractures of the anatomic neck of the scapula are extremely rare. To our knowledge, seven such fractures have been previously reported in the literature with radiographic documentation. We describe another such case and review the anatomy contributing to deformity in this injury pattern. As with previous cases of this fracture pattern, the plane of the fracture divided the scapular body from the glenoid fossa, with a short spike of the lateral border of the scapular body attached to the glenoid fragment. The glenoid fragment demonstrates a unique pattern of inferior displacement and valgus alignment due to the deforming forces produced by the anatomic structures spanning the fracture. This unstable fracture was fixed through a modified Judet posterior approach and yielded excellent results.