The management of traumatic shoulder instability

The broad range of movement of the glenohumeral joint means that anatomical or traumatic aberrations can predispose the shoulder to instability and dislocations. This pathology predominantly affects young patients, especially males, partaking in contact sports and those with hyperlaxity. Both non-operative and operative treatment strategies aim to reduce further instability episodes, which have been shown to predispose patients to early osteoarthritis. A number of patient-related and anatomical factors need to be taken into consideration when deciding between the various available management strategies, which each have their own potential complications, predisposition to recurrent dislocation and technical profiles. The degree of humeral and glenoid bone loss is a key factor in increasing the likelihood of recurrent dislocation and can therefore influence whether surgery is undertaken, or if the bone loss needs to be addressed in addition to soft tissue stabilization.