The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, and that mobility comes at the cost of stability. Once a shoulder has dislocated, it becomes more likely to dislocate again particularly in younger patients.
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria treats shoulder dislocation and instability at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, with a focus on identifying which patients are at high risk of recurrence and stabilising the shoulder before repeated episodes cause further damage.
The ball of the shoulder sits against a shallow socket, deepened by a rim of cartilage called the labrum and held by the capsule and ligaments. When the shoulder dislocates, the ball comes fully out of the socket. In a subluxation, it moves partly out and returns.
A first dislocation commonly tears the labrum and stretches the capsule. If these do not heal in the right position, the shoulder is left structurally looser than before which is why recurrence is so common. Anterior dislocation, where the ball comes forward, accounts for the large majority.
The risk of recurrence is strongly related to age. Patients dislocating in their teens and twenties have a substantially higher recurrence rate than those dislocating later in life.
contact and overhead sports; falls in cricket, football and kabaddi.
the arm is forced backward and outward.
particularly two-wheeler falls.
the single strongest predictor of further dislocation.
some people have naturally looser ligaments and may dislocate with minimal force.
gradual stretching of the capsule in throwing and overhead athletes.
A dislocated shoulder requires urgent medical reduction it should not be relocated by an untrained person. Seek immediate care for a shoulder that is out of joint, numbness or weakness in the arm, a cold or pale hand, or inability to feel the arm. Nerve and blood vessel injury can accompany dislocation.
A hot, swollen shoulder accompanied by fever may indicate infection and needs prompt medical attention. Shoulder or arm pain associated with chest discomfort, breathlessness or sweating requires immediate medical assessment.
Number of episodes, age at first dislocation, mechanism, whether reduction required medical help, which positions provoke symptoms, and sporting or occupational demands.
Apprehension and relocation tests, assessment of laxity in both shoulders, rotator cuff strength, and neurological examination of the arm.
X-rays confirm reduction and assess bone loss from the socket rim or the humeral head. MRI or MR arthrogram shows labral tears and capsular injury. CT may be used where significant bone loss is suspected, since this changes which operation is appropriate.
The choice of stabilisation depends heavily on how much bone has been lost and the specific pattern of instability. Imaging helps determine which procedure is appropriate.
Most patients are managed without surgery. Treatment is adjusted to the stage of the condition and the level of pain and stiffness:
Where dislocations recur, where a young athlete has had a first dislocation with a high recurrence risk, where instability limits sport or work, or where significant labral or bone injury is present.
Rehabilitation remains essential. The aim of treatment is not simply to improve movement during a procedure but to maintain that movement through structured physiotherapy afterwards.
Physiotherapy immediately after the procedure is important. The procedure helps restore movement, while rehabilitation helps preserve and improve that movement during recovery.
Rotator cuff tear
Frozen shoulder
Sports injury and arthroscopy
Over two decades of orthopaedic surgical
experience
Internationally fellowship-trained in the USA,
Germany and Australia
Surgery recommended only when it is
genuinely the better option
Among India's earliest robotic joint
replacement surgeons
150+ peer-reviewed publications and multiple
device patents
Structured rehabilitation planned before the
operation, not after
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria is Director and Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, and one of the earliest surgeons in India to adopt robotic joint replacement. Over twenty-two years of practice he has treated patients across the full range of bone and joint conditions, with a particular focus on robotic knee and hip replacement, partial knee replacement, sports injury and arthroscopy, and complex pelvic and acetabular reconstruction.
Name
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria
Experience
20+ Years
Qualifications
MS (Ortho) FASSI, FNUS, FNAMS..
Speciality
Practice
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria today
Dr Vaibhav Bagaria
Prarthana Samaj, Khetwadi, Girgaon,
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400004
02261305757
