Posterior Glenohumeral Instability eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: Posterior glenohumeral instability is much less common than anterior instability. However, the condition has been recognized with increased frequency; this may be due to improved awareness of the entity, an increasingly athletic population, or both. In early reports of posterior instability, the terminology of instability was confusing and chronic locked posterior dislocations were often combined with recurrent instabilities.
Each of these conditions has provided physicians with a dilemma not only in diagnosis but also in formulating an ideal treatment plan. The symptoms of posterior instability may mimic those of other disorders, and because complete dislocation does not always occur, the diagnosis cannot be readily confirmed with radiographs. The purpose of this article is to review current knowledge about the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of posterior glenohumeral instability.
Synonyms and related keywords: acute posterior dislocation, chronic posterior dislocation, recurrent posterior subluxation, locked posterior dislocation, voluntary posterior instability, involuntary posterior instability, traumatic posterior instability, posterior fracture dislocation, atraumatic posterior instability, unidirectional instability, bidirectional instability, multidirectional instability
Nowinski, Koepplinger & Mehlman 2007