Dislocated my shoulder (again)…what should I be asking?

I dislocated my shoulder 17 years ago (I'm now 49).

Over the following 7 years it came out multiple times. I was not able to put it back in myself so each time it came out it was off to A+E.

I'd finally had enough and went for the op where, if I remember correctly, they add a stitch into the ligament. This was key hole surgery.

I've not seemed to lose any mobility since the op. I've got hyper mobile shoulders and this is still the case.

It's not come out since the op, though TBH I am more careful now that I used to be. Having said this, prior to the op I did have it come out while swimming. I've not quit swimming and I've not had it come out swimming since the op.

I had gone though years of strengthening the shoulder (originally that's why I took up swimming) and it didn't seem to do anything. Maybe it came out too frequently for the strengthening to be useful but certainly my shoulders are/were much broader after I started the strengthening drive and it still came out.

My advice would be to push for the operation!

The problem is that if the capsule and or ligaments are damaged, no amount of rotator cuff muscle strength will prevent future dislocations. The cyclocross rider Lars van der Haar dislocates and relocates his shoulder in races most years!

I had a latarjet procedure that involves bolting some bone and tendon to stop the instability. You lose some range of motion, maybe 10 degrees reaching up.

Obviously solution it to buy a straight jacket and have a nice little side hustle as an escapologist. 

I was told that the younger you are when first dislocating, the more it will happen. This was from an expert, so may be the reason yours has 'popped' out since . Also heard about the 'stitch' .

I dislocated my shoulder when I was 21.

I suffered multiple dislocations and at first I could reduce it myself but it just got steadily worse. 

I dislocated it putting a jacket on and even twisting to pull a paper towel from a dispenser!

After 10 years of this, I could longer reduce it myself and had to go to A&E everytime to sort it.

Got the operation and the surgeon decided to cut me open and not do the keyhole option, as I had such a bad history. It's never happened again in the 20 years or since but I do take a lot of care.

It throbs like buggery in the cold weather.

Short answer, get the op, the damage is done and it will only get worse.

I've had one shoulder fixed years ago by keyhole surgery on the labrum capsule, a "bankart repair". You can be in and out of hospital in a day with that one now, general or local anaesthetic options available. My other shoulder was too far gone, so I had the Laterjet procedure done there.

Prior to that I was dislocating quite often, little jumps could be a bit of a lottery in particular. Popping it on the take-off lip of Jedi's 9 foot gap was probably the most exciting... I got over the gap but it wasn't a good landing. Also while swimming out of my depth. I could usually get it back in quite easily but it was awfully weak for days afterward.

Process for me last time was to see the doc, get referred to specialist, wait to see them, they referred me for an MRI, the MRI I ended up with wasn't high-res enough to know if Bankart or Latarjet was needed, came in to hospital for an attempt at the former, it took them not long at all with the camera in there to find it wasn't going to be good enough so they sent me home and returned about six weeks later for the big one. I think they kept me in for two nights, and then about 12 months of physio programme later I was discharged. By this point I was seeing a PT privately to work on strengthening everything and I've kept that up so I feel stronger than ever in general now.

I was a wee bit hypermobile, and although I was warned about losing mobility with the op I felt like it was not going to be a big loss and to be honest I'm not even sure I have any reduction at all, certainly I don't notice any. You do lose a good six months of not being able to do much of interest physically at all, and then at least another six months being a bit careful and gentle. And then obviously after all that time, everything feels quite tentative and new for a while.

I've had a Latarjet after multiple dislocations and a complete inability by anyone below consultant level to understand that I was reducing it myself, until my GP managed to dislocate it in his surgery and I did it in front of him. X rays were inconclusive but a high-contrast MRI clearly showed the issue. I was pretty far gone and the Latarjet could only use one screw rather than two.

That was two years ago. After 6 weeks in a sling and an awful lot of work I've got about 99% mobility and not had a recurrence, however I know that I'm a lot more conservative with actions than I used to be. I was told not to 'do anything stupid' for 12mo after the op so stayed off the MTB during that, road riding was fine. At least twice per MTB ride now I get a serious twinge in the shoulder if I hit a suitable compression, so I've kept the risk level lower than I would like. I think that's just how it is for me now. 

Thanks all, sounds like there could be some options but the first challenge will be to get onto the correct waiting list.

Posted by: kingmod

↑

I had a latarjet procedure

My lad had that after a rugby injury and constant redislocations.

Done under the supervision of Prof Funk and it has been a complete success.

Now his other shoulder is causing issues...

Short answer, get the op, the damage is done and it will only get worse.

Isn’t always true.

Dislocated my shoulder crashing in the 2015 (I think) Mega quali pileup, popped it back (with a fair degree of effort) then popped it out again when a rider stopped for no reason.

After that one dislocation became more regular. Bloody painful too.

I saw an NHS physio on the return to the UK, shoulder no longer dislocates.