The shoulder joint is one of the most important joints in the human body and it is known to have a wider range of motion when compared to other joints. It allows a person to perform many day-to-day activities and for sportspeople, it helps do rigorous and strong motions like throwing. But when an injury occurs to this joint, the range of motion becomes limited and the person experiences pain. One of the most common conditions seen at this joint is shoulder instability and this is what we are going to discuss in this post. Let us start with the basics first.
What is Shoulder Instability?
This is the condition in which the glenohumeral joint is involved. This is the joint where the arm connects to the body. The glenohumeral joint is formed by three bones including the humeral head, collar bone, and shoulder blade scapula. In shoulder instability, the connective tissue holding the upper arm bone fails to do it properly and due to this, the bone slips out of its place. In certain situations, orthopedic implants and instruments may be required to fix this condition.
The glenohumeral joint is a type of ball and socket joint where the humeral head (the ball) fits into the area created by collar bone and shoulder blade. Bony support at this joint is less hence, the stability is dependent on the number of tendons and ligaments. Now, connective tissues get damaged and the joint becomes free to move while causing shoulder instability. This free movement could be partial or complete.
Causes of Shoulder Instability
Few of the common reasons why shoulder instability occurs including falling on an outstretched hand and direct trauma. This could result in stretching of ligaments in the shoulder or dislocation. Besides this, stress and chronic use could also result in shoulder instability.
Symptoms of Shoulder Instability
Pain while moving the shoulder is one of the most common symptoms of shoulder instability. Other symptoms may include clicking or popping feeling while moving the shoulder, numbness and/or weakness, tenderness to touch, and repeated subluxations.
How Shoulder Instability is treated?
The treatment of shoulder instability will depend upon the type of injury that occurred, as there no fixed treatment for all such conditions. Thus, if you experience pain while moving your shoulder after an injury or fall, it is advised to immediately visit the specialist to avoid any serious complications later on.
When it comes to treatment, the doctors always try non-surgical ways to fix the condition. This method could include analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and physiotherapy. If the non-surgical method fails to show any positive signs, then surgery may be performed. The common two types of surgeries performed for treating shoulder instability include:
- Capsular Shift Surgery
- Bankart Repair Surgery
Both of these surgeries can be performed using arthroscopy where a smaller incision is required to fix the condition when compared to traditional surgery. During shoulder arthroscopy, Shoulder Arthroscopy Implants may be used.
For international standard quality arthroscopy implants and other orthopedic devices, contact one of the most reliable trauma implant manufacturers Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. The company has been in this business for more than three decades and has numerous clients around the world. Siora is also looking to become one of the best Orthopedic Equipment Suppliers in Greece.