A study concluded that male children aged 14 years and older faced the highest risk of recurrent shoulder instability following a first-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation. They did a meta-analysis, based on a combination of six retrospective cohort studies of varying quality. The studies highlighted several risk factors, including age, sex, and the state of physis closure, which influence the likelihood of recurrent instability in children. The authors suggested that further investigation through blinded prospective cohort studies is needed to better inform clinicians about the management of first-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation in this age group.
British Journal of Sports Medicine Sep 2016, 50 (18) 1135-1141; DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095149. Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.