Lung injury caused by greenstick fracture of the scapular body in a 6-year-old boy

Skeletal Radiol. 2016 Apr;45(4):555-8. doi: 10.1007/s00256-015-2262-x. Epub 2015 Oct 2.

Abstract

Complications caused by a scapular body fracture are rare, and usually occur due to concomitant injuries or nonunion. Intrathoracic displacement of a fractured scapula has only been described in two reports involving adolescents. In this report, we describe a 6-year-old boy with a parenchymal lung injury caused by a greenstick fracture fragment of the scapular body after being struck by a dump truck. Three-dimensional CT (3D CT) scan showed an incomplete fractured fragment impaling the left lung parenchyma resulting in pneumothorax, parenchymal contusion, and pneumatocele in the left upper lobe. The patient underwent emergency open reduction of the scapular fracture and chest tube insertion. A rare subtype of scapular fracture with resultant fragment rotation and intrathoracic penetration can injure the lung parenchyma. To the best of our knowledge, lung injury caused by incomplete fracture of the scapula in patients younger than 10 years has not been reported previously.

Keywords: Greenstick fracture; Lung parenchymal injury; Scapula.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Fractures, Bone / complications*
  • Fractures, Bone / diagnostic imaging
  • Fractures, Bone / surgery
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Lung Injury / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Injury / etiology*
  • Lung Injury / surgery
  • Male
  • Scapula / diagnostic imaging
  • Scapula / injuries*
  • Scapula / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Wounds, Penetrating / diagnostic imaging
  • Wounds, Penetrating / etiology*
  • Wounds, Penetrating / surgery