Spaso technique

Spaso Miljesic (1946 – ) Croatian, Nurse Specialist. Famous for the ‘Spaso technique‘ for shoulder dislocations described in 1998.

Spaso first noted patients wanted to hold their dislocated arms away from their body. While doctors were preparing medications for sedation he used to hold the patient’s arm in the same position of comfort.

He started noticing that if this line of traction was continued the dislocated shoulder would easily reduce and hence the development of his technique.

Major Publications

• Miljesic S, Kelly AM. Reduction of anterior dislocation of the shoulder: the Spaso technique. Emerg Med. 1998;10(3/4):173–175.

Further reading

• Spaso breaks his silence (Immobilization and reduction)
• The therapeutic clunk
• FARES method (shoulder reduction)
• Cunningham method (shoulder reduction)

References

• Rezende Bda R, de Almeida JI Sr, de Sousa UJ, Bomfim Lde S, Ferreira MS Jr. Glenoumeral dislocation: a prospective randomized study comparing spazo and kocher maneuvers. Acta Ortop Bras. 2015 Jul-Aug;23(4):192-6.
• Ugras AA, Mahirogullari M, Kural C, Erturk AH, Cakmak S. Reduction of anterior shoulder dislocations by Spaso technique: clinical results. J Emerg Med. 2008 May;34(4):383-7
• Fernández-Valencia JA, Cuñe J, Casulleres JM, Carreño A, Prat S. The Spaso technique: a prospective study of 34 dislocations. Am J Emerg Med. 2009 May;27(4):466-9
• Yuen MC, Tung WK. The use of the Spaso technique in a patient with bilateral dislocations of shoulder. Am J Emerg Med. 2001 Jan;19(1):64-6.
• Yuen MC, Yap PG, Chan YT, Tung WK. An easy method to reduce anterior shoulder dislocation: the Spaso technique. Emerg Med J. 2001;18(5):370–372
• Salvi AE. Considerations regarding the Spaso technique for dislocations of shoulder. Am J Emerg Med. 2007 Jun;25(5):590.

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