Open surgical treatment of anterior glenohumeral instability: an historical perspective and review of the literature. Part I.

Anterior glenohumeral instability is an undesirable result of trauma to the shoulder. Several surgical treatments for this condition have been developed, beginning in the early years of the twentieth century. Although these procedures were usually popular at their inception, many of them have fallen out of favor as more information has been acquired concerning the long-term results and complications of their use. Often successful in preventing recurrent instability, these earlier procedures also often led to a loss of external rotation, and consequently, function. Newer procedures that aim to prevent recurrent instability while maintaining full range of motion and function have been devised. Part I of this paper presents a brief history of the treatment of glenohumeral instability and a review of the literature, including the Bankart and du Toit procedures. Part II, which will be published in the December 1998 issue, includes the Putti-Platt, Magnuson-Stack, Bristow, and newer procedures.