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.

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%.

Reporting of glenoid bone loss measurement in clinical studies and the need for standardization

Aims The amount of glenoid bone loss is an important factor in deciding between soft-tissue and bony reconstruction when managing anterior shoulder instability. Accurate and reproducible measurement of glenoid bone loss is therefore vital in evaluation of shoulder instability and recommending specific treatment. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the range methods and measurement techniques employed in clinical studies treating glenoid bone loss. Methods A systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases was undertaken to cover a ten-year period from February 2011 to February 2021. We identified clinical studies that incorporated bone loss assessment in the methodology as part of the decision-making in the management of patients with anterior shoulder instability. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) were used. Results A total of 5,430 articles were identified from the initial search, of which 82 studies met the final inclusion criteria. A variety of imaging methods were used: three studies did not specify which modality was used, and a further 13 used CT or MRI interchangeably. There was considerable heterogeneity among the studies that specified the technique used to quantify glenoid bone loss. A large proportion of the studies did not specify the technique used. Conclusion This systematic review has identified significant heterogeneity in both the imaging modality and method used to measure glenoid bone loss. The recommendation is that as a minimum for publication, authors should be required to reference the specific measurement technique used. Without this simple standardization, it is impossible to determine whether any published paper should influence clinical practice or should be dismissed. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):12–18.

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.