Arthroscopic Bankart Repair in the Beachchair Position

Shoulder instability is most commonly anterior and the majority of these dislocations are associated with a Bankart tear. Open Bankart repair remains the gold standard for surgical treatment; however, arthroscopic anterior stabilization has become the procedure of choice for most surgeons. The arthroscopic technique avoids subscapularis violation, provides the ability to treat concomitant intra-articular pathology, and results in improved cosmesis and decreased postoperative pain. However, there are certain patients, depending on history and pathology, that would benefit from an open stabilization procedure. Positioning for arthroscopic stabilization should be determined by surgeon preference as both beach chair and lateral decubitus positioning can achieve excellent visualization. Whichever technique is utilized, the surgical goals are to restore the labrum and attached capsule and ligaments to the anatomical position on the face of the anteroinferior glenoid, while reducing any capsular redundancy. The described techniques and pearls can be used to achieve these goals while avoiding any of the common pitfalls.