Endovascular Treatment of Axillary Artery Dissection Following Anterior Shoulder Dislocation

Abstract

Injury to the axillary artery is a rare complication of anterior shoulder dislocation.

Open surgical repair is technically demanding because of the anatomical position of the vessel and the propensity for concomitant injuries. Standard surgical exposure techniques involve extensive dissection, including a combination of supraclavicular or infraclavicular incision, median sternotomy, and thoracotomy causing significant morbidity and mortality rates.

Endovascular techniques may offer an alternative to these surgically demanding procedures.

We present a patient with a traumatic dissection of the axillary artery following anterior shoulder dislocation who was successfully managed with an endovascular stent.

Key Words:

• Axillary artery injury
• stenting
• shoulder dislocation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G. Fass

G. Fass Department of Vascular Pathology Brugmann University Hospital Free University of Brussels Place Van Gehuchten 4 B-1020 Brussels, Belgium