This is a rare abnormality, with few cases recorded. If discovered at birth, it may be congenital, i.e., developed in utero. Often the dislocation is paralytic and not congenital, in which case there is associated paralysis of the musculature of the shoulder such as that seen in obstetrical brachial plexus paralysis.
Traumatic dislocation of the shoulder in the newborn probably never occurs; experimental work in stillborn infants has disclosed that it could not be produced.
Functional disability varies according to the severity of the condition and the extent of associated abnormalities. Absence or hypoplasia of the glenoid cavity of the scapula or of the humeral head aggravates the deformity and the instability of the shoulder.
Treatment
When functional impairment is minimal no treatment is indicated because there is a possibility of further decreasing functional use of the limb.
Operative procedures employed depend on the individual case.
In severe aplastic malformations, surgical measures are often futile because function cannot be improved.
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