Dislocation is the most severe injury affecting the shoulder. A sedative may be needed to aid in analgesia and relaxation when more than an hour has elapsed since the injury. If the attempt at reduction fails, the injured snowboarder should be transported to a medical facility for radiographic evaluation for possible fracture. Acromioclavicular separation is another common shoulder injury associated with snowboarding. Most grade I through III acromioclavicular injuries can be managed conservatively with a sling and analgesia.
Patients can resume full activity when shoulder function has returned and the pain has resolved.
When an obvious deformity and elbow pain are present, the first step is neurovascular examination. If findings are normal, a splint should be applied and an analgesic given before the radiologic examination is done. Reduction of a dislocation involves stabilizing the humerus and applying traction on the bent forearm away from the humerus to help guide the forearm back into anatomic position. A second neurovascular and radiologic examination should be done after the reduction. In addition, the injury patterns of the two sports are significantly different.