ANTEROINFERIOR GLENOID LABRUM LESION (BANKART LESION)

Course overview

THE SHOULDER IS THE MOST COMMONLY DISLOCATED JOINT IN THE HUMAN BODY. ANTERIOR SHOULDER DISLOCATION IS THE MOST COMMON FORM. INJURY TO THE GLENOID LABRUM DUE TO DISLOCATION IS A PREVALENT FINDING. DISLOCATION LEADS TO INJURY TO THE GLENOID LABRUM, AND INJURY TO THE LABRUM LEADS TO JOINT INSTABILITY, CREATING A VICIOUS CYCLE. THE BANKART LESION WAS FIRST DESCRIBED IN 1938 AS AN ANTERIOR LABRAL INJURY CAUSING ANTERIOR INSTABILITY OF THE GLENOHUMERAL JOINT. THIS RECURRENT INSTABILITY IS TROUBLESOME FOR ATHLETES PERFORMING OVERHEAD WORK. THE DIAGNOSIS OF ANTERIOR SHOULDER INSTABILITY IS MADE CLINICALLY WHEN ANTERIOR INSTABILITY TESTS ARE POSITIVE AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) SHOWS A GLENOID LABRUM TEAR FROM THE GLENOID RIM. MRI IS AN EXCELLENT DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR DETECTING GLENOID LABRAL LESIONS. ADVANCES IN ARTHROSCOPIC TECHNIQUE, INSTRUMENTATION, AND IMPLANT MATERIAL PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN TREATING GLENOID LABRAL LESIONS. ARTHROSCOPIC STABILIZATION WITH SUTURE ANCHORS IS THE PREFERRED METHOD FOR MANY SURGEONS TO TREAT ANTERIOR INFERIOR GLENOID LABRAL TEARS.