[Technique and value of arthroscopic implant removal in the shoulder].

Arthroscopic implant removal involves innovative minimally invasive surgical techniques which offer the advantages of minimally invasive surgery in addition to the possibility of glenohumeral inspection, arthrolysis and treatment of concomitant intraarticular pathologies compared to open surgical procedures. In the following article the surgical techniques and significance of arthroscopic implant removal from the shoulder joint will be described. The first results of a complete arthroscopic plate removal from the humeral head will be described. Compared to the open technique, greater satisfaction of the patients, more rapid pain relief and improvement of the shoulder function in the early postoperative time could be observed. During the follow-up interval the results of the two techniques converge.