Case: We report the case of a 27-year-old man who presented after a 30-foot fall with a hemopneumothorax, multiple rib fractures, and left shoulder dislocation with greater tuberosity fracture. During attempted arthroscopic repair, the patient developed pulseless electrical activity arrest as the result of intraoperative tension hydrothorax. We hypothesize that this was caused by a traumatic soft-tissue communication to his shoulder joint from the apex of his lung.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is a unique and unreported complication of shoulder arthroscopy and should increase awareness about possibly delaying surgery in the setting of significant soft-tissue trauma.
Copyright © 2021 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.