Treatment of anterior shoulder instability: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose The treatment of anterior shoulder instability is a focus in the field of sports medicine. While much research has been conducted, few bibliometric studies have been performed in this field. This study analyzed the main characteristics and identified emerging research trends and hotspots related to the treatment of anterior shoulder instability over the past four decades. Methods We searched for (anterior shoulder instability OR anterior shoulder dislocation) AND (treatment OR reconstruction) in ARTICLE (Mesh) in the Web of Science database from 1980 to 2020. We analyzed the keywords, author, institution, country, number of citations, average number of citations, publication year, and partnership of the identified articles. Information about annual publications was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019; the remaining data were analyzed using VOSviewer version 1.6.11 (Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands) and CiteSpace version 5.7.R2 (Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA). Results A total of 1964 articles were published between 1980 and 2020. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, the United States, the United States Department of Defense, and Arcieio were journals, countries, institutions, and authors with the highest numbers of publications. The topic hotspots were instability, shoulder, and dislocation, while the research frontiers were arthroscopic, Bankart repair, Latarjet procedure, risk factors, recurrence, and complications. Conclusion The treatment of anterior shoulder instability has shown an increasing number of publications each year and achieved great progress. The United States made the most outstanding contributions to this important field. Arthroscopic, Bankart repair, and Latarjet procedures were research hotspots and risk factors, recurrence, and complications were likely to research frontiers.

Arthroscopic remplissage is safe and effective: clinical and magnetic resonance results at a minimum 3 years of follow-up

Background Large Hill–Sachs lesions are considered a risk factor for recurrence of instability after arthroscopic Bankart repair alone. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that remplissage is a safe procedure that effectively reduces the risk of recurrent dislocations without causing fatty degeneration of the infraspinatus at medium-term follow-up. Methods Patients who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair and remplissage with a minimum 3 years of follow-up were included. Constant–Murley (CMS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and Walch–Duplay scores were evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to detect the appearance of fatty infiltration inside the infraspinatus muscle, the percentage of the Hill–Sachs lesion filled by the tendon and its integration, and the onset of rotator cuff tears. Results Thirteen patients (14 shoulders) with a mean follow-up of 55.93 (± 18.16) months were enrolled. The Walch–Duplay score was 95.00 [87.25–100.00], with a return to sport rate of 100%. Both the CMS and the ASES indicated excellent results. The affected shoulders showed a statistically significant reduction in active external rotation both with the arm at the side (ER1) and with the arm at 90° of abduction (ER2) (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0010, respectively). A reduction in infraspinatus isometric strength was found for both ER1 and ER2, but this reduction was only statistically relevant in ER2 (p = 0.0342). There was a traumatic recurrence of instability in two cases (14.28%). MRI evaluation demonstrated an absence of adipose infiltration in 50% of cases and only a minimal amount in the remaining 50%. In 12 cases (85.72%), the capsulotenodesis completely filled the lesion and good tendon–bone integration was observed. Conclusion Arthroscopic remplissage provided successful clinical outcomes without fatty infiltration of the infraspinatus and with good healing of the tissues. The low risk of recurrence was associated with an objective limitation on active external rotation, but this did not influence the patients' daily or sports activities. Level of evidence: Cohort study, level of evidence 3.

Mid-term results of arthroscopic Bankart repair and remplissage for recurrent anterior shoulder instability in patients with a history of seizures

Background Seizure predisposes patients to shoulder dislocation. However, there is no consensus regarding the best management approach for recurrent shoulder dislocation in patients who have a history of seizures. In this study, we report the outcome of arthroscopic Bankart repair augmented by Remplissage for the recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation in a series of patients with a history of seizures. Methods In this retrospective study, 27 patients with 29 recurrent anterior shoulder dislocations who were treated with the arthroscopic Bankart repair were included. All cases had deep Hill-Sachs lesions according to Hardy classification that was managed with a Remplissage technique. Patients with a glenoid defect of more than 20% in the CT scan were excluded. Twenty-two patients had an epileptic seizure, while the remaining five patients had convulsions due to other causes. The mean age of the patients was 28.3 ± 6.2 years. The mean follow-up of the patients was 3.1 ± 1.2 years. Outcome measures included the shoulder range of motion that was compared with the non-injured side in the unilateral subjects and the shoulder function that was evaluated by the Rowe score and the Walch-Duplay score. Results The mean forward flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation were not significantly different between injured and non-injured shoulder (p = 0.34, p = 0.41, p = 0.11, p = 0.23). The mean Rowe score was 49.1 ± 7.8 before the surgery and 92.1 ± 6.4 at the last visit (p < 0.001). According to the Walch-Duplay score, the shoulders were categorized as excellent, good, and fair in 17 (58.7%), 11 (37.9%), and 1 (3.4%) shoulder, respectively. The overall rate of instability recurrence was 17.2% (n = 5). Conclusion In patients with a history of seizures, arthroscopic Bankart repair augmented by Remplissage could be regarded as a safe and efficient method for the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation with glenoid defect < 20%.

Determining the Minimal Clinically Important Difference on the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Bankart Repair for Shoulder Instability

Background: The literature on minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for patient-reported outcome measures assessing shoulder instability is limited, with none addressing the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (OSIS). The OSIS was developed to provide a standardized method for assessing shoulder function after surgery for shoulder instability, and previous studies have demonstrated its high reliability, low interrater variability, and ease of administration. Purpose: To identify the MCID for the OSIS after arthroscopic Bankart repair for recurrent shoulder instability. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A longitudinally maintained institutional registry was queried for patients who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair from 2010 to 2016 for recurrent shoulder instability secondary to a Bankart lesion without significant glenoid bone loss. The OSIS was completed preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. Patients were categorized into “expectations met” and “expectations unmet” groups using a questionnaire evaluating expectation fulfilment. The MCID of the OSIS at 1 year was calculated using 3 anchor-based approaches and a distribution-based approach. The 3 anchor-based approaches comprised (1) simple linear regression analysis, (2) receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and (3) calculation of mean differences in change for the OSIS between the “expectations met” and “expectations unmet” groups. Results: The study cohort comprised 68 men and 11 women aged 29.9 ± 12.7 years (mean ± SD). Duration of follow-up for all patients exceeded 1 year. The MCIDs for the OSIS based on the 4 calculation approaches yielded a narrow range of values, ranging from 7.7 to 8.5 for the anchor-based methods and 8.6 for the distribution-based method. Conclusion: Study results indicated that patients with recurrent shoulder instability without significant bone loss who undergo primary arthroscopic Bankart repair and have at least 8.6 points of improvement on their OSIS experience a clinically significant change at 1 year postoperatively.

Functional Rehabilitation and Return to Play After Arthroscopic Surgical Stabilization for Anterior Shoulder Instability

Background: There exists limited objective functional return-to-play criteria after surgical stabilization for anterior shoulder instability in the competitive athlete. Hypothesis: The proposed functional rehabilitation program and psychological evaluation after arthroscopic Bankart repair will help athletes return to sport with a decreased redislocation rate on return. Study Design: Case series. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: Participants were contact or overhead athletes at the high school or collegiate level. Each underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair after a single dislocation event, with less than 10% glenoid bone loss. Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI) scores, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. Athletes were only allowed to return to competition after completing the proposed functional and psychological rehabilitation protocol. Results: A total of 62 participants were enrolled (52 male, 10 female; average age, 18.7 years (range 16-24 years); mean Instability Severity Index Score, 5.63 ± 0.55). All returned to sport for 1 full season and completed a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. The average time to pass functional testing was 6.2 ± 0.7 months, psychological testing was 5.2 ± 0.5 months, and return to sport was 6.5 ± 0.7 months. SANE scores improved from 44.3 to 90.0, ASES from 45.5 to 89.3, and WOSI from 1578.0 to 178.9 (all P < 0.001). Redislocation rate was 6.5% (4 of 62). Conclusion: The proposed functional rehabilitation and psychological assessment protocol is safe and effective in returning athletes to sport after arthroscopic surgical intervention for anterior shoulder instability. This demonstrated a low redislocation rate after 2-year follow-up. Clinical Relevance: Most return-to-play protocols after arthroscopic Bankart repair are centered on recovery time alone, with limited focus on functional rehabilitation, psychological assessment, and return-to-play testing parameters. To our knowledge, this is the first study to propose a dedicated rehabilitation program incorporating functional testing, psychological readiness, and return-to-play criteria for competitive athletes recovering from arthroscopic shoulder stabilization.