Kido T. A new method of immobilization after traumatic anterior dislocation of the shoulder: a preliminary study

This preliminary prospective study was conducted to determine whether immobilization with the arm in external rotation would decrease the rate of recurrence after initial traumatic anterior dislocation of the shoulder. Forty patients with initial shoulder dislocations were assigned to (1) conventional immobilization in internal rotation (IR group, N = 20) or (2) a new method of immobilization in external rotation (ER group, N = 20). The recurrence rate was 30 % in the IR group and 0 % in the ER group at a mean 15.5 months. The difference in recurrence rate was even greater among those who were aged less than 30 years (45 % in the IR group and 0 % in the ER group). Immobilization with the arm in external rotation is effective in reducing the rate of recurrence after initial dislocation of the shoulder. Shoulder dislocation, the most common dislocation in the human body, is well known for its high rate of recurrence. For over 2000 years, since the era of Hippocrates, physicians have immobilized the arm to the trunk, hoping to prevent further recurrence. A previous study using magnetic resonance imaging has shown that the detached sof