We treated 15 highly active young men (16 shoulders) with traumatic primary anterior shoulder dislocation or subluxation using 3-week external rotation immobilization. Fourteen patients (14 shoulders) were members of the Self-Defense Force and the other patient (2 shoulders) was a high school student who played club-level rugby. Average patient age at the time of the primary injury was 21.3 years (range, 17-26 years). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 14 of 16 shoulders after the 3-week external rotation immobilization and showed that the anteroinferior labrum was reduced on the glenoid rim in 11 shoulders but remained medially displaced on the glenoid neck in 3 shoulders. Five shoulders, including these 3 shoulders, underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair after 3-week external rotation immobilization. Eleven shoulders continued nonoperative treatment after the immobilization. Four of 11 shoulders had no recurrence of symptoms for >2 years, and these patients were able to return to their preinjury activities. However, 7 shoulders experienced recurrence within 2 years. We concluded that external rotation immobilization may not be as effective as mentioned previously in highly active young men with primary traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation or subluxation. Whether a patient has instability symptom recurrence after external rotation immobilization depends on more than the fact that the anteroinferior labrum is not reduced on MRI.
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