Clinical Outcomes and Recurrence Rates After Arthroscopic Soft Tissue Stabilization With Selective Augmentations for Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability in Athletes Versus Non-athletes With Subcritical Glenoid Bone Loss.

Introduction Although some studies have reported good outcomes of soft tissue procedures in athletes, to our knowledge, no study has directly compared the clinical outcomes and recurrence rates of soft tissue procedures between athletes and non-athletes. Therefore, we aimed to compare clinical outcomes and recurrence rates between athletes and non-athletes with subcritical glenoid bone defects, who received arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization surgery for traumatic anterior shoulder instability. Methods This retrospective comparative study included patients who received primary arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery for traumatic anterior shoulder instability, with a minimum two-year follow-up and a glenoid bone defect <20%. The patients were categorized into athlete or non-athlete groups. For the included patients, we performed one of the following procedures: arthroscopic Bankart repair (ABR), ABR with Hill-Sachs remplissage (HSR), or arthroscopic bony Bankart repair (ABBR). We investigated patient characteristics, including preoperative glenoid and humeral head pathology, and compared the two groups in terms of the Korean Shoulder Score for Instability (KSSI), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Rowe score, and range of motion (ROM) at two years postoperatively. Postoperative recurrence and reoperation rates were also compared. Results Altogether, 39 non-athletes and 15 athletes were included. Significantly higher KSSI (athletes: 98.00; non-athletes: 94.64; p = 0.012) was observed in the athletes than in the non-athletes. Meanwhile, the UCLA (athletes: 34.33; non-athletes: 33.87; p = 0.370) and Rowe (athletes: 96.67; non-athletes: 96.67; p = 0.460) scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Five (13%) non-athletes and one (7%) athlete experienced postoperative instability recurrence, which was not significantly different (p = 1.000). Fourteen (93%) athletes returned to sports completely after 5.4 months (range, 4-8 months) on average. Conclusion Arthroscopic soft tissue stabilization surgery yielded good clinical outcomes and low recurrence rates in both athletes and non-athletes with subcritical glenoid bone defects.