Managing Bony Defects of the Shoulder Joint that Occur in Association with Dislocation

The authors give a comprehensive review of the wide range of bone and soft tissue disturbances resulting from both anterior and posterior shoulder dislocations wherein a defect in the humeral head often occurs [1]. They review the literature on physical examination and imaging techniques that help define the extent of the injury, acting as tools in both nonsurgical and surgical planning. In a few cases this is based on age and other demographics. There are several key concepts available for treatment planning. One is the glenoid tracking theory [2]. The theory is based on the shape and location of the humeral head defect relative to the glenoid bone and soft tissue lesions. This is supplemented by their review of the classification of Hill-Sachs lesion. This classification is based on the size and shape, but does not take into account the location of the posterior humeral head defect [3].