A case report on 2 cases of closed scapular fractures caused by low-voltage alternating current shock.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case series of 2 patients (Oxford CEBM Level 4)
PubMed 41824849 · doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000047431
What was done
The authors reported on 2 patients presenting with closed scapular fractures caused by domestic low-voltage alternating current (220 V, 50 Hz) electrical shock. Diagnosis was confirmed using computed tomography imaging. Both patients were managed conservatively with sling immobilization, analgesia, and progressive rehabilitation, and were monitored through 6 months of follow-up alongside a pooled review of literature.
What was found
Both patients presented with severe shoulder pain and restricted upper-limb mobility despite minimal superficial skin injury. Computed tomography confirmed scapular fractures in both individuals. Following 6 weeks of conservative therapy and at the 6-month follow-up, both patients achieved complete functional recovery of the shoulder joint. The abstract provides no quantitative functional outcome scores.
Why it matters
This report demonstrates that the intense tetanic muscle contractions induced by low-voltage AC electrical shock can fracture the scapula even without significant entry or exit skin burns, alerting clinicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for skeletal injury in post-shock shoulder pain.
Limits
Findings are limited by the design (a 2-patient case series) without a control group or comparative arm. Objective, validated shoulder outcome scores and details from the pooled literature analysis were not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Electric shock can induce involuntary tetanic muscle contractions violent enough to fracture bones such as the clavicle and scapula.