Decision Making in Surgical Treatment of Athletes With First-Time vs Recurrent Shoulder Instability
Glenohumeral instability is one of the most common injuries in athletes. 1, 76 The National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System reported 4080 glenohumeral instability events, with an injury rate of 0.12 per 1000 exposures. 1 Glenohumeral instability events in athletes are often traumatic and typically occur following a contact injury but may also occur with noncontact events. These instability events and potential reduction treatments are painful and can cause significant distress to athletes. In addition to significant discomfort, these injuries may affect immediate or long-term athletic performance. Poor self-reported outcomes have been demonstrated with disease-specific health-related quality of life and shoulder function with recurrent dislocations. 2, 3 However, the motivation to resume sports participation and its timing is a major aspect for athletes seeking care. Therefore, when making treatment decisions in athletes one must understand the timing of the season, risk factors, treatment options, and likely outcomes to optimize return-to-play and function.
