Shoulder instability in the young athlete.

Shoulder instability is among the most common musculoskeletal injuries and overuse conditions in pediatric and adolescent athletes requiring orthopaedic care. Injury patterns in skeletally immature patients are unique to the developing musculoskeletal system and may be specific to the involved sport. It is helpful to have an outline of the basic diagnostic approaches and to review the literature that guides management principles in young athletes with shoulder instability.