Health Library

Shoulder separation - series

Normal anatomy

Ligaments hold the shoulder joint together. A disruption or weakening of these connections is a shoulder separation.

Indications, part 1

This type of ligament tear is considered a second-degree shoulder separation.

Indications, part 2

When the ligaments are disrupted in this fashion, the result is a third-degree shoulder separation.

Review Date: 8/12/2023  

Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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