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Arthroscopic posterior capsulolabral plication found effective for shoulder instability in throwing athletes
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Arthroscopic capsulolabral plication was found in a retrospective comparative study to be an effective treatment for unidirectional posterior shoulder instability in overhead-throwing athletes.
Researchers case-matched 48 overhead-throwing athletes who underwent arthroscopic posterior capsulolabral reconstruction with 48 non-throwing athletes. They measured shoulder pain, function, return to sport and determined operative failures in the patients who underwent reconstruction.
Based on the results, there were no statistical differences between throwers and non-throwers regarding their American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores, stability, strength or range of motion at 37 months mean follow-up. The researchers found 60% of throwing athletes returned to their pre-injury level of competitive throwing.
The results also showed that throwers with a discrete labral tear found intraoperatively and throwers with suture anchor constructs had a 10-fold increased likelihood of returning to sport. For the non-thrower group, there was no variability seen in labral findings or fixation techniques. Compared with other throwers, pitchers had equivocal ASES outcome scores but lesser return-to-play rates, based on the results. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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