grade III ac separation & fractured coracoid process

[dwb31822]

This summer I fell onto my left shoulder while running. Long story short, I sustained a grade III ac separation along with a fractured coracoid. The only reason my surgeon performed surgery was because of the coracoid fracture, which he had never seen before in this type of injury.
The ac joint was repaired by suturing the ligaments and two steel pins used as fixation to hold the joint in line. The coracoid fracture closed when this was performed, so he didn't have to go into that.
It's now 14 weeks Post Op, and gone through 5 weeks of formal physical therapy. My ROM is almost back to normal, but still have stiffness, and some pain with external rotation.
Last Monday an xray was taken and it showed where the clavicle had moved slightly upward. Not a huge concern as long as it remains stable.
My concern is this. My left hand (injured side) turns blue or blackish when hanging at my side. As soon as I move it or even close my hand, the color returns to normal. There is no real sensation with this except a slight numbness in the tips of my fingers. Once I move my hand it all returns to normal.
This has been going on for about 2 months now, and I actually forgot to mention it to the surgeon at my last visit. I see him again on Nov 9th and will certainly tell him about it.
My questions are...........Is this normal after shoulder surgery? Will it eventually go away? Is it dangerous? What could be causing this to happen? Could it be from scar tissue forming?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Michael L Gross, MD]

This sounds like a vascular problem, caused either by scarring or spasm.  I doesnt seem like a clot, since it is positional.  I It may resolve as you continue to move your arm more, but you should definitely mention it to your surgeon, so he can explore it further as needed.