Acute Shoulder Dislocation. Indications and Techniques for Operative Management

The acute management of the initial, anterior shoulder dislocation is dependent on the age and activity demands of the patient. After a thorough examination and appropriate radiographs, a gentle closed reduction is the initial treatment. Previous authors have recommended a period of immobilization followed by a rehabilitation program emphasizing rotator cuff strengthening. Restricting return to athletic activities to allow adequate soft tissue healing is also recommended. This will effectively treat the vast majority of patients with this injury. In patients older than 25 years of age, one would expect a relatively low recurrence rate, especially in patients with low activity demands or in patients willing to modify activity. In active, young patients desiring a return to strenuous activity, however, most studies and our own experience demonstrate high recurrence rates. In the authors' experience, the examination under anesthesia and arthroscopic evaluation have confirmed an avulsion of the anterior-inferior capsulolabral complex as the primary injury component. The special circumstances of an initial dislocation with a hemarthrosis and excellent tissue quality make it ideal for arthroscopic stabilization. Our early results are encouraging and we believe this approach is a viable option in the management of this common injury in young athletes. As arthroscopic techniques for glenohumeral instability improve, we would expect an improvement on these initial results. Acute operative stabilization for the initial anterior dislocation is considered for: (1) initial dislocation that requires a reduction; (2) a young, athletic, high demand patient (<25 years of age) who is unwilling to modify his lifestyle; (3) subjects with no prior shoulder subluxation or impingement history; (4) subjects with no neurologic injury; and (5) subjects with no greater tuberosity fracture.