The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. It is stabilized by the labrum which goes around the socket like a rubber “o” ring. When there is a traumatic hit to the shoulder incontact sports such as football or ice hockey, the ball can dislocate from the socket. When this occurs the labrum gets detached from the socket, and the shoulder capsule gets stretched. In most patients with a labral tear (called a Bankart lesion), the shoulder is stabilized using arthroscopic methods. However, in select contact athletes an open shoulder stabilization is undertaken as it has been shown to have a lower rate ofre-dislocation – about 4% vs. about 6-16% for arthroscopic stabilization.

An open shoulder stabilization is performed by making an incision in the front of the shoulder, and reattaching the labrum back to the socket with the use of suture anchors. In addition, the capsule of the shoulder that has been stretched is accurately tightened upby a procedure called the capsular shift. This can be accomplished more precisely than with the arthroscopic method.

Dr. Seneviratne has great experience performing open shoulder stabilization surgery. He will assess the needs ofeach individual patient and customize the treatment based on a multitude of factors.