[Shoulder dislocation in athletes. Current therapy concepts].

BACKGROUND

Shoulder dislocation is a common injury in athletes participating in contact and overhead sports. Optimal treatment is still a subject of controversial debate.

STUDY AIM: Presentation of current concepts for therapy of shoulder dislocation in athletes.

METHODS

A selective literature search in PubMed was carried out.

RESULTS

Surgical and non-surgical therapy options are described in the literature and can be successful in certain situations. A gold standard has yet to be defined.

CONCLUSION

For decision-making numerous patient and sports-related factors need to be considered. There is a current trend towards early surgical stabilization in young athletes.