Return to play and recurrent instability rates in open versus arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilisation in the contact and collision athlete: a systematic review

Key Points

1. Anterior shoulder instability is a uniquely difficult issue to manage amongst contact and collision athletes.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Anterior shoulder instability (ASI) is the leading cause of shoulder dislocations and subluxations in the athletic population. ASI represents a unique challenge for contact and collision athletes due to the high activity demand and repetitive trauma during sport (1). Although conservative care can be an effective short-term approach to facilitate rapid return to play (RTP), the literature consistently points towards surgical stabilization as offering superior long-term outcomes for ASI (2).

Arthroscopic shoulder stabilization and anatomical labrum repairs have become the preferred method for most sports surgeons over the past two decades, however there is still an argument to be made that open repairs and capsular shifts may offer superior overall stabilization (3,4). The authors of this paper sought to compare RTP and recurrence rates in collision and contact athletes who undergo open stabilization vs arthroscopic Bankart repair (BR).

Anterior shoulder instability represents a unique challenge for contact and collision athletes due to the high activity demand and repetitive trauma during sport.

The surgical decision-making process should come down to individual and personal factors, as there is clearly not a one size fits all approach for ASI surgery.

METHODS

• The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) using PRISMA guidelines.

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