Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Dislocation Associated With Bankart Lesion, Hill-Sachs Lesion, and Concomitant Pectoralis Major Rupture During Water Polo: A Case Report.
- 1Orthopedic Clinic OSTEON, Athens Medical Center, Athens, Greece.
- 2Department of Sports Trauma, Pain and Arthroscopy Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Abstract
Concomitant rupture of the pectoralis major tendon and traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation is an exceptionally rare injury pattern. Although anterior shoulder dislocation is a common orthopaedic injury and pectoralis major rupture is increasingly recognized in athletic populations, the simultaneous occurrence of these injuries has been reported only rarely. This case is important because associated soft tissue injuries may be overlooked during the evaluation of shoulder instability, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment. The present report contributes to the limited literature describing this combined injury pattern and its successful surgical management. A 47-year-old male recreational water polo athlete sustained a traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation during a water polo match following a forceful abduction and external rotation mechanism while contesting the ball overhead. Clinical examination demonstrated pain, anterior shoulder instability, weakness of adduction and internal rotation, and deformity of the anterior axillary fold. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an anterior-inferior labral tear, a Hill-Sachs lesion, and complete rupture of the pectoralis major tendon. Surgical treatment consisted of arthroscopic repair of the anterior-inferior labrum, arthroscopic remplissage of the humeral head defect, and open repair of the pectoralis major tendon using suture anchors and non-absorbable sutures. A structured rehabilitation program was followed postoperatively. At final follow-up, the patient demonstrated restoration of shoulder stability, recovery of pectoralis major contour and strength, and return to recreational sports without recurrent instability. This case highlights the importance of careful assessment for associated tendon injuries in patients presenting with traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation, particularly following high-energy sporting mechanisms involving abduction and external rotation. Recognition of this uncommon injury combination allows timely treatment and may improve functional outcomes. This report adds to the orthopaedic literature by documenting a rare concomitant injury pattern and demonstrating that combined arthroscopic and open surgical management can achieve successful restoration of shoulder stability and function.
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BibTeX
@article{pantos2026traumatic,
title = {{Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Dislocation Associated With Bankart Lesion, Hill-Sachs Lesion, and Concomitant Pectoralis Major Rupture During Water Polo: A Case Report.}},
author = {Panagiotis Pantos and Vasileios Kosmas and Christos Koukos and Georgios Papadimitriou and Georgios Mazis},
journal = {Journal of orthopaedic case reports},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8472},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997171},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Dislocation Associated With Bankart Lesion, Hill-Sachs Lesion, and Concomitant Pectoralis Major Rupture During Water Polo: A Case Report.
AU - Panagiotis Pantos
AU - Vasileios Kosmas
AU - Christos Koukos
AU - Georgios Papadimitriou
AU - Georgios Mazis
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Journal of orthopaedic case reports
DO - 10.13107/jocr.2026.v16.i11.8472
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997171
AB - Concomitant rupture of the pectoralis major tendon and traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation is an exceptionally rare injury pattern. Although anterior shoulder dislocation is a common orthopaedic injury and pectoralis major rupture is increasingly recognized in athletic populations, the simultaneous occurrence of these injuries has been reported only rarely. This case is important because associated soft tissue injuries may be overlooked during the evaluation of shoulder instability, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment. The present report contributes to the limited literature describing this combined injury pattern and its successful surgical management. A 47-year-old male recreational water polo athlete sustained a traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation during a water polo match following a forceful abduction and external rotation mechanism while contesting the ball overhead. Clinical examination demonstrated pain, anterior shoulder instability, weakness of adduction and internal rotation, and deformity of the anterior axillary fold. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an anterior-inferior labral tear, a Hill-Sachs lesion, and complete rupture of the pectoralis major tendon. Surgical treatment consisted of arthroscopic repair of the anterior-inferior labrum, arthroscopic remplissage of the humeral head defect, and open repair of the pectoralis major tendon using suture anchors and non-absorbable sutures. A structured rehabilitation program was followed postoperatively. At final follow-up, the patient demonstrated restoration of shoulder stability, recovery of pectoralis major contour and strength, and return to recreational sports without recurrent instability. This case highlights the importance of careful assessment for associated tendon injuries in patients presenting with traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation, particularly following high-energy sporting mechanisms involving abduction and external rotation. Recognition of this uncommon injury combination allows timely treatment and may improve functional outcomes. This report adds to the orthopaedic literature by documenting a rare concomitant injury pattern and demonstrating that combined arthroscopic and open surgical management can achieve successful restoration of shoulder stability and function.
SN - 2250-0685
SN - 2321-3817
ER -