Repeated shoulder dislocations aren’t an automatic ticket to surgery, but they’re a clear sign to check if your joint’s now chronically unstable or if the labrum, capsule, or bone has taken a hit from repeated episodes.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, after your shoulder dislocates once, it’s at higher risk for another incident. If your shoulder instability doesn’t resolve with nonsurgical treatment, surgery steps in to repair stabilizing structures or tackle bone loss.
Why Does a Shoulder Keep Dislocating?
A dislocation can stretch or tear the capsule, ligaments, and labrum that keep your upper arm centered in the socket. A Bankart lesion happens when the anterior-inferior labrum has pulled away from the glenoid after trauma.
Repeated instability can chip away at bone on the socket or humeral head. Your surgeon may order X-rays, MRI, or CT to get a closer look at soft tissues or bone.
What Makes Surgery More Likely?
There isn’t a magic number of dislocations that determines whether you need surgery. Your surgeon will consider factors like:
- continued instability after physical therapy
- your age and activity demands
- labral damage
- glenoid or humeral bone loss
Bone loss can shift the surgical approach. A 2023 review of 528 patients found that glenoid bone loss of 16% or more raised the risk of another dislocation or subluxation after arthroscopic Bankart repair alone. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule, but it’s why measuring bone loss is part of the process.
How Do Bankart Repair and Latarjet Surgery Differ?
Arthroscopic Bankart repair reattaches a torn labrum using suture anchors and can tighten stretched capsule tissue to bring back stability. It’s usually a good fit when instability comes from soft-tissue damage and bone loss is minimal.
The Latarjet procedure moves a piece of the coracoid bone to the front of the glenoid for extra support. Surgeons consider it for more complex recurrent shoulder instability, especially when bone loss is significant.
Dr. Reza Jazayeri is an orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in sports medicine who treats shoulder instability for athletes and active adults across Southern California. His practice offers both arthroscopic Bankart repair and the Latarjet procedure, so your treatment matches the damage found in your shoulder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can physical therapy still help after more than one dislocation?
Physical therapy builds shoulder strength and control, and changing up activities can help too. If your shoulder keeps slipping or dislocating after rehab, an orthopedic evaluation can pinpoint whether structural damage is driving the instability.
Should I see a shoulder surgeon after a second dislocation?
After a second dislocation, it makes sense to get your shoulder checked out, especially if you’re young, athletic, or heading back to high-demand activity. Imaging and a physical exam can spot labral injury, bone loss, and other factors that raise your risk for another episode.
Get a Clear Plan for Recurrent Shoulder Instability
If your shoulder keeps dislocating, Dr. Jazayeri can help pinpoint what’s causing the instability and walk you through treatment options that fit your shoulder, activity level, and goals. With several Southern California locations, our practice brings specialized shoulder and sports medicine care closer to you. Reach out to schedule your evaluation.
Medically reviewed by Reza Jazayeri, M.D. on
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