- Anterior shoulder dislocations often require surgical management in young adults due to recurrence, but are less common in pediatric patients, particularly under age 10
- A study this year showed that 14-16 year olds are similar to 17-20 year olds in recurrence risk (around 38%- when non-operative management), and this is especially true of males.
- The recurrence rate is lower in the 10-13 age group, but there are also less dislocations in this group as well, making this group harder to assess
- Remember to consider both chronologic and bone age if you are deciding to refer a patient for outpatient surgery follow up, bone age is more accurate to determine healing and response to non-operative treatment
- Consider early referral for surgical management and counseling regarding recurrence risk in the 14-16 year age group after anterior shoulder dislocations
References
Leroux T, et al. The epidemiology of primary anterior shoulder dislocations in patients aged 10-16. Amer J of Sports Med. 2014; 42(2): 442-50.
