What is habitual dislocation of the shoulder? Habitual shoulder dislocation: After the first dislocation of the shoulder joint, even minor trauma can lead to another dislocation of the shoulder joint, even in severe cases during daily life or while sleeping. Shoulder dislocations are most common in young, athletic people. The younger the patient was when the dislocation first occurred, the more likely it is that the patient will develop a habitual shoulder dislocation, or recurrent shoulder dislocation, or more accurately, a traumatic shoulder instability. For example, patients who have their first shoulder dislocation in their teens have a 90% or greater chance of developing recurrent shoulder instability, and patients who have their first shoulder dislocation over the age of 40 are less than 10% likely to develop chronic shoulder instability. Treatment of habitual shoulder dislocation The main treatment for habitual shoulder dislocation is surgery. The reason why the shoulder joint becomes habitually dislocated is because of changes in the tissues that stabilize the shoulder joint, such as torn joint ligaments, damage to the labrum of the joint, or fractures of the joint pelvis. Only surgery can reset and fix the fracture of the articular labrum and repair the damaged ligaments. Although the strength of the muscular tissues around the shoulder joint can be strengthened through rehabilitation, so that the shoulder joint can gain some stability, there is still a possibility that the shoulder joint will dislocate again after being subjected to external forces, so it is still advisable to have surgery early. The method of surgery In the past and now, many hospitals use the incision method. Although the recurrence rate is low, the surgery is more traumatic and the mobility of the joint is often affected after the surgery. This makes it difficult for some athletes to return to competition, and in some cases, even if they do, it is difficult for them to reach their previous athletic level. Arthroscopic surgery is very traumatic and does not damage the normal tissues, so the post-operative movement of the joint is not affected, making it much more likely for athletes to return to competition. However, the recurrence rate was high in the past. However, with the development of the understanding of shoulder joint diseases and the significant improvement of arthroscopic surgery level in recent years. Arthroscopic surgery for habitual dislocation of the shoulder joint Arthroscopic surgery for habitual dislocation of the shoulder joint does not damage the normal structures of the shoulder joint, but only treats the damaged shoulder ligaments and fractures of the joint pelvis. Only three 5-mm incisions are made around the shoulder joint, and anchor staples with sutures are screwed into the edge of the injured pelvis to close and fix the injured ligament, labrum or fractured pelvis. The patient is discharged one week after surgery and the shoulder joint needs to be immobilized with a brace for 3 weeks after surgery. By and large, simple sports can be resumed in 3 months, and normal sports activities can be resumed in about 6 months.