Adult Shoulder Dislocations in the United States Showed Higher Frequency in Males With a Bimodal Age Distribution of Under 24 and Older Than 75.

Abstract

To analyze the incidence of shoulder dislocations in a nationwide sample from 2014 to 2024 among various demographic factors and determine rates of surgical intervention within 1 year of dislocation. Utilizing the deidentified data within the United States Collaborative Network in TriNetX platform, the incidence of shoulder dislocations from 2014 to 2024 was determined for patients aged 18 and older who presented to either emergency departments or ambulatory settings. The demographic information of age, sex, and race was collected to further stratify the incidence rates (IRs) for comparative analysis, and treatment approaches were determined by current procedural terminology coding. From 2014 to 2024, there were 48,646 instances of adult shoulder dislocations recorded in the United States TriNetX database. The overall IR was 8.26 per 100,000 person-years. Males showed a significantly greater IR (11.10 per 100,000 person-years) than females (6.10 per 100,000 person-years). IR by age showed a bimodal distribution with the highest rates occurring in the 18 to 24 and 75 to 84 age groups. While only 5.40% of patients were treated with surgery within 1 year, more than 70% of those surgically treated underwent arthroscopic stabilization. Shoulder dislocations in adults in the United States showed a bimodal age distribution from 2014 to 2024, occurring most commonly in young adults and elderly individuals susceptible to falls at particularly high risk. Overall, males are at a higher risk than females. While rates of arthroscopic treatment remained relatively consistent, they comprised more than 70% of surgical procedures. This study identifies current at-risk populations, potential risk factors, and changes in orthopedic care regarding adult shoulder dislocations over the past decade.