Nonoperative Management of Posterior Shoulder Instability: What Are the Long-Term Clinical Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE To report the injury characteristics, radiographic findings, and long-term outcomes of nonoperative management for posterior shoulder instability (PSI). DESIGN A retrospective review of 143 patients with PSI using a large geographic database. SETTING Single county between January 1994 and July 2012. PATIENTS A clinical history and diagnosis of PSI, one confirmatory imaging study to support the diagnosis, and a minimum of 5 years follow-up were required for inclusion. Patients with seizure disorders, anterior-only instability, multidirectional instability, and superior labrum from anterior to posterior diagnosis were excluded. INTERVENTIONS Patients with PSI were managed nonoperatively or operatively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pain, recurrent instability, and progression into glenohumeral osteoarthritis at long-term follow-up. RESULTS One hundred fifteen patients were identified. Thirty-seven (32%) underwent nonoperative management. Twenty (54%) patients were diagnosed with posterior subluxation, 3 (8%) with a single dislocation, and 7 (19%) with multiple dislocations. Symptomatic progression of glenohumeral arthritis was observed in 8% (3) of patients. Pain improved in 46% (17) of patients and worsened in 19% (7). Recurrent instability and progression to osteoarthritis occurred in 15% (3/20) of patients with a traumatic instability event compared with 0% of atraumatic patients after nonoperative management (P = 0.234). Pain at follow-up was more common in nonoperative than operative patients (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS Nonoperative management is a viable option for many patients with posterior shoulder instability; however, many may continue to have posterior shoulder pain.