Editorial Commentary: Measuring Surgical Success in Athletes Requires More Than Generic Scores: It Is Time to...

Shoulder instability disproportionately affects young contact and collision athletes, for whom successful treatment requires more than the restoration of basic shoulder function. Recent systematic review reveals that conventional patient-reported outcomes dominated outcome reporting, whereas fewer than half of studies reported return to sport and only 15% included objective sport-specific performance measures. Common scores such as American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Rowe, and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability inadequately capture return to preinjury level, athletic performance, and durability of return to sport. Outcomes in athletes should therefore combine sport-specific patient-reported outcomes, clearly defined return to sport, and objective performance measures. Artificial intelligence may further improve assessment by dynamically tailoring follow-up to an athlete's sport and position. Traditional shoulder scores may tell us how well the shoulder functions, but they are not enough to tell us how well the athlete performs.