Arthroscopic and Open Stabilization Techniques for Anterior Instability in the Contact Athlete

Shoulder dislocations are common injuries seen in contact athletes and can cause substantial time away from play, reduce career length, and result in serious long-term morbidity. Contact athletes may be at higher risk for failure of surgical repair of shoulder instability than other individuals. In light of these issues, the contact athlete with shoulder instability deserves special attention. A number of surgical techniques have been described for treatment of shoulder instability in contact athletes, ranging from arthroscopic to open Bankart repair to bone block procedures. In this article, we review the clinical evaluation of the contact athlete with shoulder instability, including history taking, physical examination, and imaging findings. We discuss decision making for repair in terms of both timing and choice of procedure. Finally, we discuss techniques of arthroscopic and open Bankart repair and outcomes.