Arthroscopic Bankart Repair

The Arthroscopic Bankart Repair is an effective procedure to treat patients that have anterior shoulder instability. The majority of patients who suffer a traumatic anterior dislocation of their shoulder will tear the fibrocartilage labrum at the front of the shoulder. Many of these patients will go on to develop recurrent instability in their shoulder and keep dislocating. This will have a significant effect on the ability to participate in sport and sometimes also their work. It is the tear in the labrum that is largely responsible for allowing their shoulder to continue to dislocate.

Procedure

The arthroscopic Bankart repair is performed using bone anchors that are drilled into the Glenoid. The anchors that I am currently using are biocomposite anchors. They have a crystalline structure that is eventually replaced by bone. The bone anchors have sutures attached to them that are then used to tie the torn cartilage (labrum) back to where it has torn off from the anterior Glenoid. At the same time the shoulder joint capsule that has been stretched by the dislocation is sutured to the anchors further tightening the shoulder. This is termed a capsulolabral plication.