Traumatic Anterior Dislocation on the Shoulder: Factors Affecting the Progress of the Traumatic Anterior Dislocation

A shoulder joint dislocation is the most common dislocation in human joints. However, the treatment of a first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation is still controversial due to the high frequency of recurrence. Many studies on the factors that affect redislocation report that the most important factor is the patient's age at the time of the first dislocation.1-4) Other factors, such as the patient's athletic activity,5-7) associated pathologic conditions8-12) and method of immobilization,13-14) can also affect redislocation. This study examined the preoperative prognostic factors to determine the natural history of traumatic shoulder dislocation and clarify the treatment guidelines. We hypothesized that 1) the interval between dislocations is shorter in younger patients at the time of the first dislocation, and 2) the size and condition of the lesions becomes more severe as the frequency of redislocation increases.