Open Capsulorrhaphy for Recurrent Multidirectional Instability of the Shoulder

The management of multidirectional instability (MDI) of the shoulder remains challenging, especially in athletes who participate in sports and may require multiple surgical procedures to achieve shoulder stabilization. Open or arthroscopic procedures can be performed to address shoulder MDI.

Open capsulorrhaphy is preferred in patients with underlying tissue hyperlaxity and who had 1 or more, previously failed, arthroscopic shoulder stabilization procedures.

With the patient in the beach-chair position (45°), tissue dissection is performed to the level of subscapularis tendon via the deltopectoral approach. The subscapularis tenotomy is performed in an L-shaped fashion, and the subscapularis tendon is tagged with multiple sutures and mobilized. Careful separation of the subscapularis tendon from the underlying capsular tissue is critical. Capsulotomy is performed, consisting of a vertical limb and an inferior limb that extends to the 5 o'clock position on the humeral neck (right shoulder). After evaluating the integrity of the labrum, the capsule is shifted superiorly and laterally, and repaired using 4 to 5 suture anchors. The redundant capsule is excised, and the subscapularis tendon is repaired in a side-to-side fashion, augmented by transosseous equivalent repair using the capsular sutures.

Adequate shoulder stabilization was achieved following open capsulorrhaphy in a young female athlete with tissue hyperlaxity and history of a previously failed arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization surgery of the shoulder. The athlete returned to sport at 6 months postoperatively and did not experience recurrent shoulder instability episodes at midterm follow-up.

Based on the existing literature, 82% to 97% of patients who underwent open capsulorrhaphy for MDI had no recurrent shoulder instability episodes at midterm follow-up. One study reported 64% return-to-sport rate following open capsulorrhaphy in 15 adolescent athletes with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but more research is necessary to better define the indications and outcomes of this procedure in physically active patients.