Arthroscopic inferior capsular shift for multidirectional instability of the shoulder: a preliminary report

Ten consecutive patients with involuntary multidirectional instability who did not respond to rehabilitative treatment were managed by an arthroscopic modification of the inferior capsular shift procedure described by Altcheck and Warren. All patients were reviewed 1-3 years postoperatively using both the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system of Neer and the Bankart rating scale of Rowe. The average Bankart score was 90 (range 75-95) and all patients had a satisfactory result according to the Neer system. The arthroscopic capsular shift procedure appears to provide satisfactory results in the management of selected patients with multidirectional instability as evidenced in this preliminary report.