Shoulder arthroscopy with the patient in the beach-chair position.

We evaluated the use of the beach-chair, or sitting, position for arthroscopic shoulder surgery in 50 consecutive patients. Routine arthroscopy, arthroscopic subacromial decompression, and arthroscopic shoulder stabilizations were performed, with no complications. The advantages of this position include ease of setup, lack of brachial plexus strain because no traction is used, excellent intraarticular visualization for all types of arthroscopic shoulder procedures, and ease of conversion to the open approach if needed. The positioning technique is described.