Shoulder Instability

The mobility of the shoulder joint makes it incredibly useful for sports and day-to-day activities but also makes it vulnerable to injury and instability. Sports medicine orthopedic surgeon Kyle Borque, MD, identifies the root cause of your shoulder instability and provides the most effective treatment. Call the Houston and Sugar Land, Texas, office today or use this website to book an appointment online.

What is shoulder instability? 

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, which makes it vulnerable to instability. The top of your upper arm bone, the humerus, fits into a shallow groove, known as the glenoid socket, that comes off your shoulder blade or scapula.  

The glenoid is small, so sufficient force can push the humerus head out of place, causing instability or dislocation. Once you experience complete dislocation, you’re more vulnerable to future instances – or chronic instability. The labrum, which is like a rubber washer that attaches to the socket to make it deeper, can become loose or torn, which makes your shoulder unstable and vulnerable.

What causes shoulder instability? 

Contact sports such as football and basketball put the shoulder at risk for instability. Some people are predisposed to shoulder instability based on their genetics and anatomy. 

What are the symptoms of shoulder instability? 

The most common symptoms of shoulder instability are:

• Intense shoulder pain
• Numbness that radiates down your arm
• Visual joint deformity
• Feelings of insecurity or weakness in the joint

If instability has led to dislocation, your shoulders may appear asymmetrical when compared to one another.  

Some patients' joints appear lax even without injury. This commonly occurs in people who do overhead sports like volleyball and swimming. Other people have a tendency to be "loose-jointed,” a rare condition known as multidirectional instability.  

How do you treat shoulder instability? 

Dr. Borque customizes your treatment for shoulder instability depending on the underlying cause. He usually starts with conservative interventions like anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder. You'll modify movements to reduce instances of raising your arms overhead while you strengthen the surrounding muscles to better support the joint.  

If you suffer from chronic instability or are in constant pain, Dr. Borque may recommend surgery. Minimally invasive arthroscopic labral repair is the most common surgery used to restore shoulder stability. Arthroscopic repair uses small incisions and tiny instruments to minimize damage to surrounding tissue. 

If you have damaged the socket in addition to the labrum, usually as a result of a high number of dislocations, you may need a larger surgery called a Latarjet, where bone is taken from the coracoid and moved over to the socket. Dr. Borque will discuss these options with you based on your injury pattern and level of activity. 

If you're having ongoing problems with shoulder instability, call Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine today to schedule an appointment or use the online tool to book.