Arthrodesis as a salvage procedure for recurrent instability of the shoulder.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of shoulder arthrodesis as a salvage procedure for recurrent shoulder instability. Eight patients with an average of seven prior stabilization attempts were reviewed retrospectively at a mean follow-up of 35 months (range, 24-83 months). The average time to bony union after arthrodesis was 3.5 months (range, 2.5-5 months). The patients reported significant overall subjective improvement as a group after fusion. None of the patients complained of instability postoperatively. All 8 stated that they would repeat the surgery again under similar preoperative circumstances. Despite limitations in function and residual pain, our results suggest that shoulder arthrodesis is a viable treatment option for patients with refractory shoulder instability.