A 45-year-old construction worker presented with a severely swollen shoulder, only for doctors to discover his entire shoulder joint had been destroyed by Milwaukee Shoulder Syndrome (MSS), a rare condition. Imaging revealed the humeral head was completely gone, the rotator cuff tendons were torn, and the upper arm bone floated freely, unattached to the body.
Background
Milwaukee Shoulder Syndrome (MSS) is a rare degenerative joint condition first described in 1981, characterized by massive rotator cuff tears and destructive arthropathy, typically affecting the shoulders of elderly individuals. This case was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2026.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Aug 1, 2026 at 05:51 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10