Serum Cartilage Biomarkers and Shoulder Instability

Shoulder instability is endemic in young athletes and military personnel.1,2 Most epidemiologic studies of shoulder instability showed that age, sex, and activity level have the greatest effect on primary incidence and recurrence.3,4 For example, long-term prospective cohort studies found that younger male patients are most predisposed to recurrent dislocation.1 Similarly, a recent meta-analysis of 10 studies that included nearly 1300 individuals found that male patients younger than 40 years were most likely to have recurrent instability.5 Although these studies helped to identify epidemiologic risk factors for instability, they did not identify modifiable factors, such as strength, that could be used to prevent instability.6,7 Recent work in a cohort of patients with injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) showed cartilage biomarkers that were associated with ACL injury.8,9 More Serum Cartilage Biomarkers and Shoulder Instability