The 2008 American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Specialty Day at The Moscone Center has recently released a study where they come up with interesting facts about benefits, the young, and athletic, first-time shoulder dislocation patients can derive from the long term arthroscopic surgery.Robert A. Arciero, MD, of the Keller Army Hospital in West Point, NY found that 92 percent of the young active patients are likely to dislocate their shoulder again when conservative approaches like rest and immobilization in a sling were used. Instead of this the surgery is likely to yield better results.
The research was initiated in 1993 by Dr. Arciero who started performing arthroscopic surgery on young military cadets who suffered their first shoulder dislocation. The short-term results were excellent. The study was focused upon how the treatment would fare over the years on them. It was decided to examine the long terms results on these patients. The patients were found to maintain healthy and active life style. Even after a period of 10 years, the surgery was found to be effective and the cadets were able to display excellence shoulder performance and high activity level. This further study was led by Major Brett Owens, MD, of Williams Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.
During the study, 39 patients were evaluated who had undergone shoulder operations and follow up was one for average 11.7 years. Results were measured to evaluate the functional ability of the shoulders pre injury and after the surgery were done. Other physical assessments like number of push ups completed with in a specified period of time and performance on the Army Physical Fitness Test were also included during the study.
Overall, the study found that the patients maintained excellent use of their shoulder. In other terms like mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score and athletic ability, the results were also remarkable.
Dr. Owens says “for this group of patients, young, athletic cadets unable to modify their activity level, arthroscopic surgery for first-time dislocations is successful both short and long-term”.
The treatment allows the active patients to resume the sport activities, and fulfill the active duty military obligations effectively. It might not be useful for a patient with a sedentary lifestyle however for a young and active athlete; this treatment promises the same old active and stable life.
This society works very actively for the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries and collaborates with many eminent athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians.
