Outcomes Following Open Repair of Bankart Lesions for Recurrent, Traumatic Anterior Glenohumeral Dislocations
Authors:
Joshua Langford MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Julie Y. Bishop MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Evan L. Flatow MD, Mount Sinai
School of Medicine, New York, NY
Objective: The results of arthroscopic shoulder stabilization have been compared with those reported decades ago for open repairs. However, the open “gold standard” has improved over the years with better diagnosis (eg MRI), and modern techniques.Methods: Between 1988 and 2001, 64 patients underwent primary open repair of a Bankart lesion with a modified capsular shift for recurrent, traumatic anterior glenohumeral dislocations by the senior surgeon. Repairs for subluxation, associated lesions, and shoulders without labral detachments were excluded. Forty patients were available for evaluation with a minimum follow-up of 1 year (average 6.5 yrs.). The average patient age was 29 (range: 14 – 52).Results: Two patients had symptoms of recurrent instability (5%). There was one patient with a recurrent dislocation after a seizure and one patient with recurrent subluxations. Of 38 patients who were previously engaged in recreational sports, 35 were able to return to their previous level of sports. There was full range of motion at follow-up in 36 patients, and mild loss of external rotation in 4 (10%).Conclusions: Open repair of recurrent, traumatic, anterior glenohumeral dislocations was effective in 95% of patients at almost 7 years average follow-up. It is an excellent standard against which arthroscopic repair may be compared.
