Arthroscopy and stability testing for anterior shoulder instability.

The extreme manifestation of anterior shoulder instability is anterior dislocation. Minor anterior instability often gives rise to vague symptoms from which a diagnosis is difficult. The use of arthroscopy may increase diagnostic accuracy in cases of anterior shoulder instability. Examinations were performed on 145 patients with shoulder complaints using stability testing under anesthesia and arthroscopy; of these, 62 patients were found to have anterior shoulder instability. The clinical signs were compared with the findings on stability testing and arthroscopy, and the morphological changes noted on arthroscopy were recorded. The combination of arthroscopy and stability testing proved valuable in the diagnosis of minor anterior instability and for the morphological changes and associated injuries in established anterior dislocations.