The vertical-apical suture Bankart lesion repair for anteroinferior glenohumeral instability

We report the results of the vertical-apical suture Bankart lesion repair in 59 patients with traumatic anteroinferior glenohumeral instability. According to the system of Rowe et al, at a mean follow-up of 42 months (minimum, 2 years), 94.9% (56 patients) had a rating of good or excellent. Three patients had a recurrent dislocation due to further trauma. The mean Rowe score was 94.6, the mean Walch-Duplay score was 94.3, the mean Constant score was 90.4, and the mean rating on a numerical satisfaction scale was 8.7. The mean loss of external rotation with the arm at the side was 2.4°, and in 90° abduction it was 2.2°. Of 44 patients, 35 (79.5%) returned to the same sport at the same level of activity, 7 returned to the same sport at a reduced level of activity, and 2 stopped all sporting activities. There were no complications. We recommend the vertical-apical suture as a technique for Bankart repair that uses absorbable sutures and no suture anchors or tacks. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2002;11:481-5)