Anatomy, Examination, and Imaging of the Shoulder

A thorough understanding of the dynamic and static stabilizers of the shoulder, a careful and complete history and physical examination of the patient, and the ordering of the appropriate imaging tests will help the surgeon decide on the optimal management for the patient with instability. The particular treatment chosen will depend on the accurate classification of the instability based on direction, degree (subluxation versus dislocation), force (traumatic versus atraumatic), volition (voluntary versus involuntary), duration (acute or chronic), and frequency (acute or recurrent). A concise approach to the complex anatomy of the shoulder, the accurate clinical diagnosis of glenohumeral instability, and the current recommendations with regards to imaging the patient with instability is provided.