Revision surgery for failed thermal capsulorrhaphy.
BACKGROUND
With the failure of thermal capsulorrhaphy for shoulder instability, there have been concerns with capsular thinning and capsular necrosis affecting revision surgery.


OBJECTIVE
To report the findings at revision surgery for failed thermal capsulorrhaphy and to evaluate the technical effects on subsequent revision capsular plication.


METHODS
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.


METHODS
Fourteen patients underwent arthroscopic evaluation and open reconstruction for a failed thermal capsulorrhaphy. The cause of the failure, the quality of the capsule, and the ability to suture the capsule were recorded. The patients were evaluated at follow-up for failure, which was defined as recurrent subluxations or dislocations.


RESULTS
The origin of the instability was traumatic (n = 6) or atraumatic (n = 8). At revision surgery in the traumatic group, 4 patients sustained failure of the Bankart repair with capsular laxity, and the others experienced capsular laxity alone. In the atraumatic group, all patients experienced capsular laxity as the cause of failure. Of the 14 patients, the capsule quality was judged to be thin in 5 patients and ablated in 1 patient. A glenoid-based capsular shift could be accomplished in all 14 patients. At follow-up (mean, 35.4 months; range, 22 to 48 months), 1 patient underwent revision surgery and 1 patient had a subluxation, resulting in a failure rate of 14%.


CONCLUSIONS
Recurrent capsular laxity after failed thermal capsular shrinkage is common and frequently associated with capsular thinning. In most instances, the capsule quality does not appear to technically affect the revision procedure.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Avenue #A672, Baltimore, MD 21224-2780, USA.
Hyung Bin
HB
Park
Atsushi
A
Yokota
Harpreet S
HS
Gill
George
G
El Rassi
Edward G
EG
McFarland
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001182:Arthroscopy; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017746:Joint Capsule / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000070599:Shoulder Injuries; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D017211:Treatment Failure