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Open or Closed Case of Shoulder Repair?

When the shoulder dislocates over and over, surgery is usually needed. Doctors have used the Bankart repair for years to treat this type of injury. In this operation, the shoulder is opened up and the damage is repaired.

Now newer technology is challenging this older method. Doctors are doing the Bankart repair with an arthroscope. This means the surgery can be done without cutting the shoulder joint open. A slender device with a tiny TV camera on the end is inserted into the joint. This allows the doctor to view inside the joint on a TV screen. This is called a "closed repair."

There are a few changes in the way the operation is done. The results of an open Bankart repair are similar to a closed repair. In this study, this was true for almost everyone regardless of age, sex, or number of times the shoulder had dislocated. Patients younger than 20 years seemed to do better with the open Bankart repair.

Studies to compare open to closed operations for shoulder injury from dislocation are increasing. The Bankart repair can be done using an arthroscope when there aren't any bone fractures or torn capsular tissue in the joint. More studies to compare other factors between these two methods are underway.

References: Seung-Ho Kim, MD, PhD, et al. Bankart Repair in Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability: Open Versus Arthroscopic Technique. In Arthroscopy. September 2002. Vol. 18. No. 7. Pp. 755-763.

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