Orthopaedics, Hospital Universitario la Princesa, Madrid, Spain

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes in terms of stability, movement and function of the glenohumeral joint after arthroscopic repair of anterior capsulolabral complex injuries in anterior chronic shoulder instability.

Material and Methods: Thirty patients who underwent surgery at Hospital Universitario La Princesa in the last seven years with a minimum follow-up of two years were retrospectively revised. They were evaluated following a protocol which gathers demographic data, dislocation  episodes, surgical complications, rehabilitation, movement and clinical outcome following Rowe's classification.

Results: The majority of our patients were males (77%), youngsters (mean of 27 years) and sportsmen. The number of dislocation episodes before surgery was high (53% more than 7-8 dislocations). After arthroscopy, there was not a significant loss regarding movement, only an insignificant loss in maximal abduction and external rotation (76%). The 85% obtained a result of 90 or more points over 100 in the Rowe's classification. We only found one patient with shoulder dislocation after arthroscopic surgery which was necessary to operate again with open surgery.

Conclusion: In our experience, mid-term good results can be obtained in patients with anterior chronic glenohumeral instability treated with an arthroscopic approach when a careful and meticulous reinsertion of the anterior capsulolabral complex is done, independent of bone loss (specially on the humeral side).