The shoulder gets dislocated when an injury makes the upper arm bone come out of the shoulder blade socket. The shoulder could be dislocated partially or entirely and would cause severe pain and instability. There are mainly three ways in which shoulder gets dislocated, such as:
1.Anterior - front of the socket
2.Posterior - behind the socket
3.Inferior - below the socket
Usually, the doctor would recommend surgery when the dislocation has caused severe damage to the joints or when the non-surgical treatments fail. An orthopedic would suggest surgery for young athletes who has frequent dislocations. Surgery could help improve joint stability and prevent dislocations in the future.
The most common surgeries performed for shoulder dislocation are arthroscopy and open surgery. These are mainly performed to treat the torn ligaments.
Arthroscopy is considered to be a minimally invasive surgery that helps to treat problems in the shoulder joint. The doctor will make tiny incisions to insert the arthroscope that shows the inside of the joint on the screen, and then they will correct the issue. The doctors use special pencil-thin instruments while performing arthroscopic surgery. The doctors can get a clear view of tiny details in the bones, tendons, ligaments, and labrum.
Arthroscopic surgery is performed using general anesthesia. Doctors would perform arthroscopic shoulder surgery for several shoulder problems such as rotator cuff repair, bankart repair for recurrent shoulder dislocation, bone spur removal, removal or repair of the labrum, repair of ligaments, removal of inflamed tissue or loose cartilage, arthroscopic nerve release, arthroscopic fracture fixation, and calcific tendinitis.
Open surgery
Open surgery involves one large incision to access the joint. If the shoulder pain persists or if there is any change in the shape of the bones in the joints, doctors would prescribe open surgery. With the help of open surgery, doctors can repair injured tendons, ligaments, and the labrum or address the damage caused to the bones of the joint.
Repeated injuries will cause bone loss in the glenoid socket, and with open surgery, the doctor would repair with bone graft. Usually, the bone graft is taken from the hip bone, and the doctor would shape it to fit the rim of the glenoid to create a deeper socket. Gradually, the bone graft will get fused to the shoulder socket and forms a solid bone. This could ensure additional stability for the shoulder and will allow the arm bone to be in place.
The surgery could depend on the severity of damage to the ligaments, bone loss, and laxity of the tissues. Be it arthroscopy or open surgery, the doctor would advise physical therapy and certain medications for a few weeks to make the shoulders stable again.
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Blog reviewed by: Dr. Banarji B.H
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