Arthroscopic transglenoid suture of Bankart lesions

Arthroscopic transglenoid suture of Bankart lesions was performed in 31 patients from 1988 to 1992. The diagnosis in all patients was recurrent traumatic anterior luxation, and a Bankart lesion was found in all cases. Mean time for clinical follow-up was 43 months (ranging from 25 to 76 months). A telephone review of all cases was obtained two years later. Five patients experienced postoperative wound problems posteriorly, where the sutures were tied over the fascia of the infraspinatus. One transient suprascapular nerve palsy was seen. There was a recurrence of complete dislocation in eight patients, while six patients had had repeated subluxations (total failure rate of 45.1%). Sixteen patients (51.6%) were assessed as having good to excellent results according to the Rowe scoring system. A slight loss of external rotation was found in six cases. Seventeen patients (54.8%) were able to return to their pre-injury level of athletic activity. Due to the high failure rate, we do not recommend arthroscopic transglenoid suture of Bankart lesions in patients with recurrent traumatic anterior dislocations.