Arthroscopic Bankart Repair

The shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) is a ball and socket joint, where the head of the upper arm bone (humerus) attaches to the shoulder socket (glenoid cavity).  The labrum, a cuff of cartilage that encircles the shoulder socket, helps serve this purpose by forming a cup for the humeral head to move within. The labrum can sometimes tear during a shoulder injury.  A specific type of labral tear that occurs when the shoulder dislocates is called a Bankart tear. Bankart repair surgery is indicated when conservative treatment measures do not improve the condition and repeated shoulder joint dislocations occur.