Controversies in the Surgical Management of Shoulder Instability: Open vs Arthroscopic Procedures

Traumatic anterior instability of the shoulder is a common condition associated with a high recurrence rate in young adults. Operative treatment reduces the risk of recurrence. Several studies have compared arthroscopic and open shoulder instability repair. The purpose of this paper is to perform a review of the literature where both techniques are compared in the repair of the anterior shoulder instability without bone loss.

Prior to arthroscopy, recurrent dislocations were managed by open repair. There have been many studies documenting low recurrence rates after open Bankart stabilization. Initially, arthroscopic fixation reported high failure rates.

In the last 20 years, the development of arthroscopic stabilization for recurrent anterior instability has improved failure rates. In comparison with open techniques, arthroscopic procedures have the advantages of decreased morbidity rate, early functional rehabilitation and improved range of motion.

The available evidence does not show a statistically significant difference in outcome measures between arthroscopic and open repair for the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Given the similar results between the 2 groups, differences in length of hospital stay and cost to the patient and society point to arthroscopic repair as the more judicious treatment approach.