Results of shoulder stabilization surgery in athletes.

Athletes, especially in contact and collision sports, are at risk for anterior and, less commonly, posterior glenohumeral instability. Studies have demonstrated that both types of instability can be successfully treated with surgery, using either open or arthroscopic techniques. For athletes with anterior instability, open stabilization has a slightly lower recurrence rate than arthroscopic stabilization. For posterior instability, arthroscopic techniques facilitate a higher rate of return to sport than open techniques. Throwing athletes have been shown to have a lower rate of return to sport after the surgical treatment of both anterior and posterior instability.