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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
High Rates of Return to Sport After Surgical Stabilization for Anterior Shoulder Instability in Athletes: A
Alexander J Baur1, Teddy J Houseman2, Eyad Z Mansour3
1Center for Research, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA.
Background:
Recurrent anterior shoulder instability is a common problem in athletes, especially those in contact, collision, or overhead sports. Anterior shoulder instability remains the predominant injury pattern in athletes, accounting for the majority of subluxations and dislocations. Return-to-sport (RTS) outcomes vary across techniques, and the relative effectiveness of these procedures in athletes has not been well established.
Purpose/Hypothesis:
Our study aimed to compare rates of RTS after anterior shoulder stabilization surgery. It was hypothesized that the Bristow-Latarjet procedure would have the highest RTS.
Study Design:
Systematic review; level of evidence, 3.
Methods:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies on surgical stabilization of anterior shoulder instability in athletes that reported return to sport were included. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 1,850 patients with an average age of 22.8 (13-46). Pooled proportions for RTS were calculated. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the surgical procedure.
Results:
Full RTS across all patients was 79% (95% CI, 0.70-0.87). Full cessation of sport was 10% (95% CI, 0.04-0.16). Although indications for procedures varied, the Bristow-Latarjet stabilization demonstrated a significantly higher full RTS rate compared with Bankart (0.92; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98, versus 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83; respectively, P = .002).
Conclusion:
Athletes undergoing surgical stabilization for anterior shoulder instability achieved high rates of RTS. The Bristow-Latarjet procedure was associated with significantly higher rates of full RTS than Bankart repairs in anterior shoulder instability, despite variability in patient indications across procedures.
