Conservative treatment of first-time shoulder dislocation with the arm in external rotation

[Shoulder instability: review of current concepts of diagnosis and treatment]

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of modern literature data on the modern approaches in diagnosis and treatment of shoulder instability.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Searching for literature data was performed using the Pubmed and Google Scholar databases.

RESULTS

The authors analyzed the results of conservative treatment of patients with shoulder instability and emphasized higher risk of instability recurrence, degeneration of anatomical structures and functional impairment in these patients. Surgery is advisable to restore shoulder stability and normalize its function. Several methods for stabilizing the shoulder have been proposed.

The approaches to diagnosis and treatment of shoulder instability have been updated.

CONCLUSION

Successful treatment of shoulder instability is based on qualitative and complete assessment of soft tissues and bone structures. An individual approach considering bone tissue deficiency and individual needs of the patient is required.

Does Functional Bracing of the Unstable Shoulder Improve Return to Play in Scholastic Athletes? Returning the Unstable Shoulder to Play

BACKGROUND

Functional bracing is often used as an adjunct to nonoperative treatment of anterior shoulder instability, but no study has evaluated the effectiveness of in-season bracing. The purpose of this study was to examine successful return to play in a nonoperative cohort of adolescent athletes with in-season shoulder instability and compare those athletes treated with bracing to those who were not.

HYPOTHESIS

The use of functional bracing will improve success rates in a cohort of athletes treated nonoperatively for in-season shoulder instability.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3.

METHODS

A total of 97 athletes with anterior shoulder instability were followed for a minimum of 1 year. The mean age was 15.8 ± 1.4 years (range, 12.0-18.0 years). All athletes were treated with initial nonoperative management. Twenty athletes (21%) were also treated with bracing while 77 (79%) were not. The athlete completing the current season and 1 subsequent season without surgery or time lost from shoulder injury was defined as a successful outcome.

RESULTS

There was no statistical difference in nonoperative success rates between the braced and nonbraced athletes (P = 0.33). Braced athletes (n = 20) returned to play 80% of the time, while nonbraced athletes (n = 77) returned at a rate of 88%. Of the braced athletes, 85% were football players (n = 17). A football-only comparison demonstrated no difference between braced failures (26%) and nonbraced failures (16%) (P = 0.47).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to evaluate the utility of functional bracing in returning an athlete to sport and completing a full subsequent season without surgery or time loss due to injury of the shoulder. In adolescent athletes with shoulder instability treated nonoperatively, functional bracing did not result in increased success rates when compared with no bracing.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The data from this study indicate that functional bracing may not improve success rates for athletes with shoulder instability.

Position of Immobilization After First-Time Traumatic Anterior Glenohumeral Dislocation: A Literature Review

Anterior glenohumeral dislocation affects about 2% of the general population during the lifetime. The incidence of traumatic glenohumeral dislocation ranges from 8.2 to 26.69 per 100 000 population per year. The most common complication is recurrent dislocation occurring in 17–96% of the patients. The majority of patients are treated conservatively by closed reduction and immobilization in internal rotation for 2–3 weeks. However, no clear conservative treatment protocol exists. Immobilization in external rotation can be considered an alternative. A range of external rotation braces are commercially available.

The purpose of this work was to review the current literature on conservative management of glenohumeral dislocation and to compare the results of immobilization in internal and external rotation.

A comprehensive literature search and review was performed using the keywords “glenohumeral dislocation”, “shoulder dislocation”, “immobilization”, “external rotation”, and “recurrent dislocation” in PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases from their inceptions to May 2016.

Three cadaveric studies, 6 imaging studies, 10 clinical studies, and 4 meta-analyses were identified. The total number of 734 patients were included in the clinical studies.

Literature analysis revealed better coaptation of the labrum on the glenoid rim in external rotation in cadaveric and imaging studies. However, this tendency was not confirmed by lower redislocation rates or better quality of life in clinical studies.

On the basis of the available literature, we cannot confirm the superiority of immobilization in external rotation after glenohumeral dislocation when compared to internal rotation. A yet-to-be-determined group of patients with specific labroligamentous injury pattern may benefit from immobilization in external rotation. Further studies are needed to identify these patients.

Six-week physical rehabilitation protocol for anterior shoulder dislocation in athletes

Anterior shoulder dislocations are common in young athletes. The mechanism for the first or primary shoulder dislocation may involve a collision or a fall typically with the arm in an abducted and externally rotated position. The aim of this study was to design a physical rehabilitation program using the elastic band and resistive exercise to improve joint strength and range of motion in individuals diagnosed with a first-time shoulder dislocation. Twelve physically active males with a first-time acute shoulder dislocation were asked to volunteer. Participants began a physical rehabilitation program 2 weeks after the shoulder dislocation, which was confirmed by a referring physician. The rehabilitation program was 6 weeks in duration and required the participants to engage in progressive resistive loads/duration using elastic bands and weights 5 days per week. Pretest and posttest measures included shoulder strength and range of motion. All outcome measures were compared between the injured and uninjured shoulder, which served as the control condition in this study. There were statistically significant differences between the injured and uninjured shoulder for measures of strength and range of motion during pretests (P<0.01) but not post-tests (P<0.53). Finally, there were no differences between shoulders in regards to the volume measure suggesting that any changes in muscle atrophy or swelling were not detected. The physical rehabilitation program proposed in this study was effective at improving strength and range of motion in the injured shoulder as evidenced by the similarity in posttest values between the injured and uninjured shoulder.

Does external rotation bracing for anterior shoulder dislocation actually result in reduction of the labrum? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

External rotation (ER) bracing has been shown to improve labral reduction in cadaveric studies, but this has not translated to universal improvement in re-dislocation rates in clinical series.

PURPOSE

To systematically review and critically appraise the literature that investigates how well the labrum is actually reduced by ER in patients who have had an anterior shoulder dislocation.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of the literature using the online databases Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register. Studies were included if they reported on the difference in labral reduction after ER and internal rotation bracing in patients who had a traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation.

RESULTS

Of the 6 studies included, 5 assessed labral reduction on magnetic resonance imaging and 1 arthroscopically. Each study reported an overall improvement in labral reduction with ER, but anatomic reduction was not commonly achieved. This was despite the use of extreme positions that are unlikely to be well tolerated.

CONCLUSION

External rotation results in anatomic reduction of the labrum in only 35% of cases. We postulate that failure to reduce the labrum may be a contraindication to ER bracing and propose further study to determine whether acute MRI could be used to help identify patients in whom ER achieves labral reduction in a comfortable position. This approach also has the advantage of avoiding the significant inconvenience of ER bracing in those in whom the labrum does not reduce and are therefore theoretically less likely to benefit. However, it is a novel strategy with significant resource implications and therefore warrants further study.

Associations between in-vivo glenohumeral joint motion and morphology

Joint morphology has a significant influence on joint motion and may contribute to the development of rotator cuff pathology, but the relationships between glenohumeral joint (GHJ) morphology and in-vivo GHJ motion are not well understood. The objectives of this study were to assess measures of joint morphology and their relationship with in-vivo joint motion in two populations: shoulders with intact rotator cuffs (n=48) and shoulders with rotator cuff pathology (n=36, including 5 symptomatic tears, 9 asymptomatic tears and 22 repaired tears). GHJ morphology was measured from CT-based three-dimensional models of the humerus and scapula. In-vivo GHJ motion was measured during shoulder abduction using biplane x-ray imaging. Associations between GHJ morphology and motion were assessed with univariate and best subsets regression. The only morphological difference identified between the populations was the critical shoulder angle (intact: 34.5 ± 4.7°, pathologic: 36.9 ± 5.0°, p=0.03), which is consistent with previous research. In intact shoulders, the superior/inferior (S/I) position of the humerus on the glenoid during shoulder abduction was significantly associated with the glenoid's S/I radius of curvature (p<0.01), conformity index (p<0.01), and stability angle (p<0.01). Furthermore, the S/I position of the humerus on the glenoid was negatively associated with the critical shoulder angle (p=0.04), which contradicts previous research. No significant associations between GHJ morphology and GHJ motion were detected in shoulders with rotator cuff tears. It is unknown if rotator cuff pathology compromises the relationships between GHJ morphology and motion, or if the absence of this relationship is a pre-existing condition that increases the likelihood of pathology.

Survey on the management of acute first-time anterior shoulder dislocation amongst Dutch public hospitals

INTRODUCTION

The primary aim of this study was to record how orthopaedic surgeons are currently managing acute first-time anterior shoulder dislocation (AFASD) 8 years after introduction of the Dutch national guideline: "acute primary shoulder dislocation, diagnostics and treatment" in 2005. The second aim was to evaluate how these surgeons treat recurrent instability after AFASD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online questionnaire regarding the management of AFASD and recurrent shoulder instability was held amongst orthopaedic surgeons of all 98 Dutch hospitals.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 60%. Of the respondents, 75% had a local protocol for managing AFASD, of which 28% had made changes in their treatment protocol after the introduction of the national guideline. The current survey showed wide variety in the overall treatment policies for AFASD. Twenty-seven percent of the orthopaedic surgeons were currently unaware of the national guideline. The variability in treatment for AFASD was present throughout the whole treatment from which policy at the emergency department; when to operate for recurrent instability; type of surgical technique for stabilization and type of fixation of the labrum. As for the treatment of recurrent instability, the same variability was seen: 36% of the surgeons perform only arthroscopic procedures, 7% only open and 57% perform both open and arthroscopic procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the introduction of the national guideline for the initial management of AFASD in 2005, still great variety among orthopaedic surgeons in the Netherlands was present. As for the surgical stabilization technique, the vast majority of the respondents are performing an arthroscopic shoulder stabilization procedure at the expense of the more traditional open procedure as a first treatment option for post-traumatic shoulder instability.

Dislocations of the shoulder joint

Dislocation of the shoulder joint is a common injury. Initial management takes the form of urgent reduction, for which many methods have been described. Associated injuries carry significant morbidity and must be recognised. Further post-reduction treatment for the first-time dislocator has traditionally been non-operative; however, increasing evidence suggests a role for acute surgical arthroscopic stabilisation in certain patient groups. This article aims to give an evidence-based overview of the epidemiology, pathology and initial and further treatment options for shoulder dislocation.