ArticleCureus2023
Terrible Triad of the Shoulder: A Case Series and Literature Review.
Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mechanism of axillary nerve palsy in the terrible triad of the shoulder: the role of excessive dislocation.JSES international · 2026Article
- Timing of surgery for terrible triad of the shoulder: a systematic review.Clinics in shoulder and elbow · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe shoulder terrible triad is an underdiagnosed injury pattern consisting of anterior shoulder dislocation, rotator cuff tear, and nerve injury from the brachial plexus in its original description. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of the condition, suggest treatment strategies, and emphasize the difficulties in treating this condition.
methodsThis case series of seven patients from the same institution. All patients underwent x-rays before and after the reduction of the dislocation, MRI to assess the musculoskeletal injuries, and EMG and clinical examination to assess the nerve lesions. Early arthroscopic repair was opted for the rotator cuff tears. A conservative approach was chosen for the nerve lesions. Active forward flexion and external rotation, Constant score, and Visual to Analogue Scale (VAS) were recorded pre- and post-operatively.
resultsAll the patients showed an improvement in function postoperatively. However, four of the seven patients did not recover fully. The mean Constant and VAS scores were improved from 15.2 +/- 2.8 (12 to 19) to 67 +/- 16.6 (44 to 86) and from 7.5 +/- 1 (6 to 9) to 2.3 +/- 0.8 (1 to 3), respectively. The patients were followed up for a mean time of 28.2 +/- 10.1 months (18 to 43 months). Time-to-surgery shorter than four weeks showed better results, but not statistically significant.
conclusionsThe diagnosis of the shoulder terrible triad requires a high level of suspicion. Early arthroscopic repair for the rotator cuff tears and waiting for the nerve recovery is suggested. Delayed time from injury to surgery might be related to worse outcomes, but higher-level research is needed in this direction.
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