Two studies on shoulder instability in a military population were presented today by U.S. Army sports medicine surgeons at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' annual meeting. Findings in one study suggest patients with a self-reported history of shoulder instability are far more likely to experience future instability, while the second study outlined key factors associated with surgical failure and concluded that arthroscopic surgical intervention has better outcomes than an open shoulder repair.

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"By identifying risk factors associated with surgical failure, such as patient age, type of repair and inpatient status, we can help Soldiers select a treatment option with the least likelihood of shoulder instability recurrence and successfully prepare them to return to duty," said Capt. Brendan J. McCriskin, M.D., a study author and an Army resident in the Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Department at William Beaumont Army Medical Center/Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, Texas.

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