Partial Resurfacing for Humeral Head Defects Associated With Recurrent Shoulder Instability

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Recurrent traumatic shoulder instability is common in young, active individuals.
• Humeral head defects, such as Hill-Sachs lesions, often accompany instability but may not require intervention.
• Existing treatments for significant defects carry risks like hardware complications and restricted motion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of partial prosthetic humeral head resurfacing for recurrent shoulder instability.
• To assess outcomes in patients with significant Hill-Sachs and reverse Hill-Sachs lesions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patients undergoing partial prosthetic humeral head resurfacing.
• Inclusion of patients with recurrent or locked anterior and posterior instability.
• Follow-up assessment of redislocation, return to activity, and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Results:

• No repeat dislocations occurred in any patient.
• 77% of anterior instability patients and 100% of posterior instability patients returned to their preinjury activity level.
• Significant improvements were noted in Musculoskeletal Review of System and Short Form-12 physical component scores for the anterior instability cohort.

Conclusions:

• Partial humeral head resurfacing is an effective treatment for preventing redislocation in patients with significant humeral head defects.
• This procedure can lead to successful return to preinjury activity levels and improved functional outcomes.