Table 1. Summary of common sports trauma injuries of the upper extremity requiring acute intervention and recommendations for timeframe of treatment.

Injury	Complications of Delayed Intervention	Special Considerations and Recommendations
Irreducible/Locked Glenohumeral Joint Dislocation	Avascular necrosis of the humeral head Decreased chance of successful reduction Increased risk of degenerative changes	Surgery should proceed within 24-48 hours for patients presenting with an irreducible/locked dislocation.
Acute Traumatic Rotator Cuff Tear	Inferior functional outcomes Increased primary repair difficulty	Surgery should proceed within 3 weeks. Surgery may not be necessary in patients with smaller partial-thickness tears.
Sternoclavicular Joint Dislocation	Arthritis Decreased chance of successful reduction Airway/vascular compromise	Surgery should proceed within 48 hours if closed reduction fails. More urgent surgery warranted with locked posterior dislocation compromising airway or vascular structures.
Type 4-6 Acromioclavicular Injury	Inferior functional outcomes Increased rate of loss of reduction	Surgery should proceed within 3-4 weeks.
Pectoralis Major Rupture	Inferior functional outcomes Increased surgical difficulty due to scarring, fibrosis, and adhesions.	Surgery should proceed within 6-8 weeks.
Distal Biceps Rupture	Increased surgical difficulty and increased likelihood of repair augmentation being needed Increased risk of LABCN neuropraxia	Surgery should proceed within 4-6 weeks.
Triceps Rupture	Inferior functional outcomes Increased surgical difficulty	Surgery should proceed within 2-3 weeks.