Background: The shoulder joint, being the most mobile joint in the body, is often affected by instability. Shoulder instability is a symptomatic, abnormal motion of the glenohumeral joint which can result in pain, subluxation or dislocation. Surgery and physiotherapy both have a place in the management of shoulder instability. However, identifying the cause of the instability is essential to de...

Generalized joint laxity and shoulder instability are common conditions that exhibit a wide spectrum of different clinical forms and may coexist in the same patient. Generalized joint laxity can be congenital or acquired. It is fundamental to distinguish laxity from instability. Laxity is a physiological condition that may predispose to the development of shoulder instability. A high prevalence...

A family history of shoulder instability in first-degree relatives was found in 24 of 100 patients who had been operated on for recurrent anterior shoulder instability. The patients with and without a family history were similar in respect of sex ratio, age at first dislocation and age at operation. The initial dislocation was non-traumatic in 22% of the patients with and in 13% of those withou...