An original closed reduction technique for acute shoulder dislocation: The FEAT method
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Updated: Oct 31, 2026
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Haoyi Guan1, Lin Li2, Bang Hu1
1Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430061, People's Republic of China; Department of Orthopedics, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China; Hubei Shizhen Laboratory, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China; Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China.
Purpose:
The objective of this study was to introduce a novel closed reduction technique, termed the FEAT (Fixation, External rotation, Alignment, Traction) method, for anterior shoulder dislocations and to evaluate its effectiveness, speed, reliability, and safety.
Methods:
This prospective study enrolled 30 patients presenting with anterior glenohumeral dislocation at the Emergency or Orthopedics outpatient department of Hubei Provincial Hospital. Closed reduction was performed using the FEAT method without administering analgesics, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics. Only a single reduction attempt was permitted per patient. The time required for successful reduction was recorded, and patient-reported pain intensity during the procedure was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10.
Results:
All 30 patients experienced successful reduction on the first attempt. The average time required for successful reduction was 54.3 s, with a mean VAS pain score of 3.67 during the procedure.
Conclusion:
The FEAT method is an effective, rapid, and minimally painful technique for anterior shoulder dislocation reduction. Its simplicity and ease of mastery support its widespread clinical adoption.