The vertical-apical suture Bankart lesion repair for anteroinferior glenohumeral instability.

We report the results of the vertical-apical suture Bankart lesion repair in 59 patients with traumatic anteroinferior glenohumeral instability. According to the system of Rowe et al, at a mean follow-up of 42 months (minimum, 2 years), 94.9% (56 patients) had a rating of good or excellent. Three patients had a recurrent dislocation due to further trauma. The mean Rowe score was 94.6, the mean Walch-Duplay score was 94.3, the mean Constant score was 90.4, and the mean rating on a numerical satisfaction scale was 8.7. The mean loss of external rotation with the arm at the side was 2.4 degrees, and in 90 degrees abduction it was 2.2 degrees. Of 44 patients, 35 (79.5%) returned to the same sport at the same level of activity, 7 returned to the same sport at a reduced level of activity, and 2 stopped all sporting activities. There were no complications. We recommend the vertical-apical suture as a technique for Bankart repair that uses absorbable sutures and no suture anchors or tacks.