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Review
. 2024 Oct;43(4):705-722.
doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2024.03.025. Epub 2024 Apr 23.

Rehabilitation and Return to Sport following Operative and Nonoperative Treatment of Anterior Shoulder Instability

Zachary J Herman  1 , Rajiv P Reddy  1 , Alex Fails  1 , Albert Lin  2 , Adam Popchak  1
Affiliations
Review

Rehabilitation and Return to Sport following Operative and Nonoperative Treatment of Anterior Shoulder Instability

Zachary J Herman et al. Clin Sports Med. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

There has been growing interest in the rehabilitation process and timing of returning an athlete to sport following the management options for anterior shoulder instability. The purpose of this article is to review the current rehabilitation and return to sport (RTS) protocols for various nonoperative and operative management strategies following anterior shoulder instability events. When appropriate in the rehabilitation protocol, RTS testing should be criteria based, rather than time based, with a special focus given to psychological readiness in order to promote successful return to athletics and prevention of recurrent instability episodes in the future.

Keywords: Anterior shoulder instability; Postoperative rehabilitation; Return to sport criteria.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure A. Lin: Stryker/Tornier: Paid Consultant/IP, Arthrex: Paid Consultant/IP, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon: Committee or board member, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine: Committee or board member, ISAKOS: Committee or board member, Rotator Cuff Study Group: Committee or board member, Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy: Editorial or governing board, JBJS Case Connector: Associate Editor, Arthroscopy: Editorial or governing board, JISAKOS: Editorial or governing board, American Journal of Sports Medicine: Reviewer, Journal of American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Reviewer, Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy: Reviewer, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery: Reviewer, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery: Reviewer. No other authors have anything to disclose.

MeSH terms