Analysis of postoperative monitoring of patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy for anterior instability

Analyze the postoperative follow-up of patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy for treatment of anterior instability and correlate with the prevalence of recurrence.

A six-question survey was applied by phone and mail to 65 patients, seeking information on the current result of the surgical procedure. All patients were treated arthroscopically for anterior shoulder instability, with at least 12 months of postoperative time. Patients with associated posterior labial lesions and revision surgeries were not included.

At the time of the survey the patients had a median of 56 (IQR: 34.5-110.5) postoperative months. The mean sample age was 24.6 years (maximum = 47, minimum = 12; SD = 7.3). Complaint of pain in the shoulder was observed in 20 patients (30.7%). Dislocation recurrence was observed in 10 patients (15.3%). Forty-four patients (67.6%) considered their shoulder normal, which was more frequent in non-recurrence patients (p < 0.001). Forty-three patients (66.1%) returned to their previous level of sport and there was no difference between recurrence and non-recurrence patients (p = 0.456). It was found that the prevalence of recurrence was 5.6 (95% CI: 1.30-24.46) times higher in individuals who abandoned monitoring before six months postoperatively (p = 0.012).

The abandonment of postoperative monitoring in the early stages, when the patients receive orientation for muscle strengthening, proprioceptive education, and dangerous movements to avoid, can increase the rates of recurrent shoulder dislocation in patients treated for anterior instability by arthroscopy.