Shoulder Dislocation and Labral Tear: 38 Questions Patients Ask

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. In a dislocation, the ball (the top of the arm bone, or humerus) comes completely out of the shallow socket (the glenoid). Most dislocations are anterior, meaning the ball pops out the front. See shoulder dislocation.

A dislocation means the ball comes all the way out and usually needs to be put back in. A subluxation means the ball slips partway out and pops back in on its own. Both are forms of shoulder instability, and repeated subluxations can matter as much as full dislocations.

The labrum is a rim of tough, rubbery cartilage around the edge of the socket. It deepens the socket and is the attachment point for the ligaments that hold the ball in place. Think of it as a bumper that helps keep the ball centered.

A Bankart tear (or Bankart lesion) is a tear of the front-lower labrum and the ligaments attached to it, pulled off the socket when the shoulder dislocates forward. It is the most common injury after an anterior dislocation. If a piece of the socket bone breaks off with it, it is called a bony Bankart.

A dent in the back of the ball, caused when the ball is jammed against the hard edge of the socket during a dislocation. Small dents usually do not matter much. Larger dents can “catch” on the edge of the socket and make the shoulder slip out again.

Most happen when the arm is forced backward while it is raised and turned out, for example a tackle, a fall on an outstretched arm, or a block in football, rugby, hockey, wrestling or basketball. Seizures and electric shocks can cause posterior (backward) dislocations.

Yes. Besides the labrum, a dislocation can injure the bone of the socket or the ball, the rotator cuff tendons and, less often, the nerve that powers the deltoid muscle. Rotator cuff tears and fractures are more common in people over about 40. See our rotator cuff questions.

It depends mostly on your age, sex and activity. In a meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1,324 adults, recurrent instability after a first traumatic anterior dislocation was 39%.¹ The risk is much lower in older adults and much higher in young, active people.

Young people tend to play contact and overhead sports, and their tissues may heal differently. In the meta-analysis above, people aged 40 or younger had about 13 times the odds of recurrent instability compared with older people, and men had about 3 times the odds of women.¹ In a national study of more than 21,000 people, ages 20 to 29 and male sex were the strongest risk factors for another dislocation.²

Playing contact or collision sports, having naturally loose joints, bone loss from the socket or a large Hill-Sachs dent, and having already dislocated more than once. In the meta-analysis, loose joints (hyperlaxity) raised the odds by about 2.7 times, while a broken piece of the greater tuberosity (a bump on the ball) was linked with a lower risk.¹

It can. Each time the shoulder comes out, more of the socket edge can wear away and the Hill-Sachs dent can grow. Bone loss makes a simple labral repair less reliable and may change which surgery is needed, which is one reason Dr. Dold may suggest treating recurrent instability sooner rather than later.

Get medical care to have the shoulder put back in (reduced) and checked with X-rays. Do not let untrained people pull on the arm, and do not keep playing. After it is back in, a sling, ice and pain medicine help in the first days.

Dr. Dold will ask how it happened and how many times it has come out, then examine your strength, motion, nerves and stability. X-rays taken in our office check that the ball is back in the socket and look for fractures or bone loss.

An MRI, sometimes with dye injected into the joint (an MR arthrogram), shows the labrum, ligaments, rotator cuff and Hill-Sachs dent. A CT scan, often with 3D images, is the most useful way to measure bone loss from the socket and helps decide between a labral repair and a bone procedure.

Yes. Non-surgical care means a short period in a sling for comfort, followed by physical therapy to restore motion and strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder-blade muscles. It is a reasonable choice for many people, especially those who are older, less active, or who are willing to accept the risk of another dislocation.

For young, active people, the research favors surgery for preventing another dislocation. A 2025 meta-analysis of 11 studies (4 of them randomized trials) found redislocation in about 6% after arthroscopic Bankart repair compared with about 51% after non-surgical care, and patients who had surgery were more likely to return to sport at their previous level.³ In a randomized trial, recurrence at 2 years was 2.3% after arthroscopic stabilization and 19.1% after bracing in external rotation.⁴

Many people never dislocate again, especially older adults, and surgery has its own risks, costs and months of rehabilitation. In the randomized trial above, shoulder function scores at 2 years were similar between the two groups, even though recurrence was lower after surgery.⁴ Your age, sport, season, job and imaging all go into the decision.

Sometimes. Some athletes with a first dislocation and no major bone loss return in the same season after therapy, often with a brace, and have surgery afterward. The risk of another dislocation, and of more damage, is real, so this is a shared decision between you, your family, Dr. Dold and your athletic trainer.

Some studies have used bracing in external rotation (with the arm turned outward) after a first dislocation, but in a randomized trial it still had a higher recurrence rate than arthroscopic stabilization.⁴ Braces worn during sport can limit motion and may help some athletes finish a season.

An arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery in which small anchors with sutures are placed in the edge of the socket and used to reattach the torn labrum and ligaments. It is done through small incisions with a camera, usually as outpatient surgery. The goal is to restore the bumper and tighten the stretched ligaments.

Remplissage (French for “filling”) is an arthroscopic step added to a Bankart repair when there is a larger Hill-Sachs dent. A tendon and capsule at the back of the shoulder are stitched into the dent so it no longer catches on the socket. In a meta-analysis in athletes, adding remplissage was linked to lower recurrence and higher return to sport compared with Bankart repair alone or the Latarjet procedure, with recurrence around 5% in athletes.⁵

A small piece of bone (the coracoid) with its attached tendons is moved to the front of the socket and fixed with screws. It rebuilds lost socket bone and adds a sling effect from the tendons. It is used mainly when there is significant bone loss or after a failed earlier repair.

When a large part of the socket is worn away, a labral repair alone often fails. In a classic study, arthroscopic Bankart repair failed in about 4% of shoulders without significant bone defects but in about 67% of those with them, and in 89% of contact athletes with bone defects.⁶ This is why Dr. Dold measures bone loss carefully before choosing an operation.

Each fits different situations. A 2025 review of long-term studies found lower recurrent instability and revision rates after the open Latarjet than after arthroscopic Bankart repair at about 10 years.⁷ The Latarjet is a larger operation with different risks, so the choice depends on bone loss, sport, age and prior surgery.

All surgery carries risks such as infection, stiffness, nerve injury, blood clots and problems with anesthesia. Stabilization surgery can also fail, with the shoulder slipping out again. The Latarjet adds risks related to the bone block and screws. Dr. Dold will review the risks for your specific procedure.

Shoulders that dislocate, whether or not they have surgery, have a higher risk of arthritis later in life. In the long-term review above, arthritis was seen across a wide range of patients after both Bankart repair and Latarjet.⁷ Preventing repeated dislocations is one way to protect the joint.

Most patients wear a sling for about 4 to 6 weeks after stabilization surgery. You will take it off for gentle exercises, bathing and dressing as instructed. See shoulder dislocation for more on recovery.

Physical therapy starts with protected, gentle motion, then gradually adds strengthening of the rotator cuff and shoulder-blade muscles, followed by sport-specific training. Progress is based on milestones, not just the calendar. Doing your home exercises consistently makes a real difference.

Most people can drive once they are out of the sling, off narcotic pain medicine, and able to control the wheel safely with both hands. Do not drive while wearing a sling. Dr. Dold will tell you when it is reasonable for you.

Students and desk workers often return within one to two weeks, using the other arm. Jobs that require lifting, overhead work or heavy use of the arm may need several months, or modified duty in the meantime.

Return to contact and collision sports is usually about 5 to 6 months after surgery, once strength and motion have returned. In a review of studies of collision athletes after arthroscopic Bankart repair, about 90% returned to sport and about 81% returned to their previous level, at an average of about 5 months.⁸ Individual results vary.

Yes, although the risk is much lower than without surgery. Recurrence is more likely in young contact athletes, with bone loss, and with loose joints. Following your rehabilitation plan and returning to sport only after you meet the strength and motion goals helps lower the risk.

The ball slips out the back of the socket instead of the front. It is less common, and often comes from repeated pushing force, such as blocking in football, bench press or push-ups, or from a seizure or fall. In a systematic review of 2,307 shoulders treated with arthroscopic stabilization, about 91% of patients were satisfied, recurrent instability occurred in about 7%, and about 86% returned to play.⁹ See posterior shoulder instability.

A SLAP tear (superior labrum, anterior to posterior) is a tear of the top of the labrum, where the biceps tendon attaches. It is common in throwing and overhead athletes and can occur with a dislocation. Treatment usually starts with physical therapy; when surgery is needed, options include repairing the labrum or a biceps tenodesis, depending on your age and activity. See SLAP tears.

Some people have multidirectional instability, a looseness in more than one direction, often without a major injury and often with naturally loose joints. A structured strengthening program is usually the first step. Dr. Dold will examine you to sort out the type of instability. See posterior instability and multidirectional instability.

Call our office for fever above 101°F, increasing redness, warmth or drainage from the incisions, new numbness or weakness in the hand, calf pain or swelling, or pain that is not controlled by your medicine. For chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.

Our staff will call and text you within an hour (Monday–Friday, 8 am–5 pm) after you request an appointment. You can also call 469-850-0680. Bring any X-rays, MRI or CT reports you already have.

Dr. Dold accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare. Please call 469-850-0680 to confirm your coverage. See our insurance page and surgery scheduling and insurance questions.