Doctors took a look at a man's painful shoulder — they found the joint was missing

A 45-year-old construction worker came to the ER with worsening pain and swelling in his right shoulder.

X-ray and MRI showed near-complete destruction of the shoulder joint, loss of the humeral head, and a separated upper arm bone.

Doctors diagnosed Milwaukee Shoulder Syndrome, a rare disorder that rapidly destroys the shoulder joint.

The case shows that severe shoulder pain and swelling can signal fast-moving joint damage that needs urgent imaging and evaluation.