Acute shoulder and elbow dislocations in the athlete

Shoulder dislocation is a common injury in the athletic population, if not the most common. It occurs with significant frequency in both contact and noncontact sports. The pathology and natural history of shoulder dislocation has been described in detail and widely accepted. Controversy and debate continue with regard to the optimal management of this condition. A wide spectrum of management options is available. All of these methods aim to provide a stable shoulder, minimal recurrence and a speedy return to preinjury function. The incidence of anterior glenohumeral dislocation in the general population is about 1.7%. The incidence of shoulder dislocation in the athletic population varies by sport and level of competition. Table I presents the number of shoulder dislocations and the total number of shoulder injuries for the year 1999 in six different sports. The majority of these are anterior glenohumeral dislocations. Although posterior dislocations do occur in the athletic population, there is little information in the published literature. With participation in athletics increasing at all levels and ages it can be expected that the incidence of shoulder dislocation will rise.