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A 46-year-old member asked:

What can be done for an unstable shoulder with multiple dislocations?

4 doctor answers8 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Coats II
Orthopedic Surgery 25 years experience
Arthroscopic repair: Shoulder instability is caused by labral tears and capsular incompetence. The labral tear is usually traumatic in nature and caused by the first dislocation. The capsular stretching increases with each dislocation. Surgery repairs the torn labrum back to the glenoid or bony socket. The capsule can also be tightened to provide more stability for the shoulder joint.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Vivek Agrawal
Orthopedic Surgery 33 years experience
Shoulder Specialist: Chronic dislocations can present with many areas of pathology including extensive labrum tearing, bone loss, rotator cuff pathology, and nerve injury. It is important to have a thorough evaluation with a shoulder specialist with a lot of experience in handling these routinely to determine the best course for you. More information here: http://www.Theshouldercenter.Com/unstable-shoulder.Htm.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Bernard Bach Jr
Orthopedic Surgery 44 years experience
Surgery.: Usually surgical stabilization is required. See a sports medicine shoulder surgeon for evaluation.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Sports Medicine 20 years experience
Unstable Shoulder: An unstable shoulder can be treated with surgery or rehabilitation. The first thing to determine is whether or not something is torn in the shoulder causing the instability. If there has been a traumatic dislocation with tearing in the shoulder, surgery is usually needed. If the joint has inherent laxity the treatment is more often through rehabilitation with surgery as a second line treatment.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Jan 9, 2015
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