Surgery Better for Shoulder Dislocation

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Typically, if a person dislocates their shoulder, the first line of treatment is rest and immobilization. But a new study finds for young, athletic patients, surgery may be a better option for the short and long term.

In 1993, Robert Arciero, M.D. from Keller Army Hospital began doing arthroscopic surgery on young military cadets who suffered their first shoulder dislocation. The short-term results were excellent, but no one knew how the cadets would do long term. Major Brett Owens, M.D. of Williams Beaumont Army Medical Center conducted a study to look at the long term results of these patients.

The study included 39 patients who had the surgery an average of 12 years prior. The patients were evaluated on their physical ability and also questioned about their shoulder and experience over the years after the surgery. Researcher found the patients maintained excellent use of their shoulder. Patients estimated their function at 93 percent after the surgery. The patients also said they would most likely have the surgery again. The former cadets performed excellent on their physical tests as well.

“Certainly our study proves that for this group of patients, young, athletic cadets unable to modify their activity level, arthroscopic surgery for first-time dislocations is successful both short and long-term,” Dr. Owens says. “This treatment allowed our patients to return to sports, graduate from the military academy and engage in active duty military obligations. It may not be the approach that should be taken for a person who lives a sedentary lifestyle, but this could be applicable to the young, 15- to 25-year-old athlete, who is at high risk for recurrent instability and compromised function.”

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SOURCE: Presented at the 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Specialty Day at The Moscone Center, March 8, 2008