Incidence of recurrence after shoulder dislocation: a nationwide database study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Shoulder redislocation recurrence rates vary significantly in existing literature.
• A nationwide study is needed to accurately determine shoulder dislocation recurrence after closed reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the recurrence rate of shoulder dislocation following closed reduction.
• To identify risk factors associated with shoulder redislocation.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide cohort study was conducted using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-2013).
• Analysis included incidence of first, second, and third shoulder dislocations after closed reduction.

Main Results:

• 1074 patients with shoulder dislocation were identified from 1 million individuals.
• Redislocation rates were 9.4% (1 year), 12.7% (2 years), and 17.0% (5 years) after the first dislocation.
• Younger and male patients showed higher redislocation risks after the first event, but this difference diminished after the second dislocation.

Conclusions:

• Younger and male demographics are associated with increased shoulder redislocation risk after an initial event.
• The risk of recurrence becomes similar across all demographic groups after a second shoulder dislocation.
• Surgical intervention should be strongly considered for patients experiencing recurrent shoulder dislocations.