Management of Locked Posterior Shoulder Dislocation with Reverse Hill-Sachs Lesions via Anatomical Reconstructions

Location and size of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion in patients with traumatic posterior shoulder instability

BACKGROUND

In patients with traumatic posterior shoulder instability, little is known about the precise location and size of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion.

METHODS

Forty-nine shoulders of 47 patients with traumatic posterior instability were included in this study based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) a primary or recurrent traumatic posterior shoulder dislocation and (2) the initial event being caused by trauma. Patients were excluded if they had (1) no history of trauma, (2) prior shoulder surgery, (3) no computed tomographic (CT) examination, or (4) were seizure cases. Three-dimensional images of the humerus reconstructed from CT images were reviewed using an image analysis software. The location and size of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion were measured and described on a clock face on the humeral head.

RESULTS

The reverse Hill-Sachs lesion was observed in 25 of 49 shoulders (51%). The reverse Hill-Sachs lesions were located between 1:37 and 2:48. The depth of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion (mean ± standard deviation) was 5.8 ± 2.2 mm. The extent of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion was 35° ± 12°. The average orientation of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion, represented by an angle measured from the 12 o'clock position, was 64° ± 12° and pointing toward 2:09 on a clock face. The mean length and width of reverse Hill-Sachs lesions were 9.7 ± 4.7 mm and 11.1 ± 3.6 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The reverse Hill-Sachs lesion was a semicircular compression fracture located on the anteromedial aspect of the humeral head. Compared with shoulders with anterior shoulder instability, the humeral defect was smaller and located more inferiorly in shoulders with posterior instability.

Low Recurrence of Instability and Satisfying Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Various Surgical Treatments of Reverse Hill-Sachs Lesions in the Setting of Posterior Instability: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To systematically review the literature and report the outcomes of various surgical treatments for reverse Hill-Sachs lesions (RHSL) in the setting of posterior shoulder instability.

METHODS

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. All studies assessing outcomes of surgical treatment of RHSL from inception to January 2023 were identified in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria consisted of studies reporting outcomes, minimum mean 1-year follow-up, and minimum Level IV evidence. Outcomes were assessed using Forest plots with random effects models using R software.

RESULTS

A total of 29 studies consisting of 291 patients were included with a mean age of 42 years (range 16-88 years), 87% male gender, and mean follow-up of 4.5 years. The mean size of impacted or affected cartilage was 35%, and time from injury to surgery was mean 15 weeks. Nearly all studies were Level IV evidence, and quality of studies was low. Random effect models were performed, and data are presented as range. A low incidence of instability was noted for all surgical techniques with good patient-reported outcome measures. Most studies reported outcomes of the modified McLaughlin procedure (13 studies, 126 patients) with overall Constant-Murley Score of 65 to 92. Trends were seen towards better Constant-Murley Score and external rotation with a shorter delay between injury, and when arthroscopic and joint preserving treatments were performed.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review showed low rates of instability recurrence, reproducible range of motion, and favorable patient-reported outcome measures were reported following all treatments for RHSLs with posterior instability. There was a significant association between better outcomes and a shorter delay between injury and surgery. The level of evidence is limited, given the small and retrospective studies which can be explained by the rarity of these injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV; systematic review of Level III and IV studies.

Management of Bone Loss in Posterior Glenohumeral Shoulder Instability: Current Concepts

» Posterior glenohumeral instability is relatively uncommon compared with anterior instability, but is becoming an increasingly recognized and surgically managed shoulder pathology.» Soft-tissue stabilization alone may not be sufficient in patients who present with substantial bone loss to the posterior glenoid and/or the anterior humeral head.» For posterior glenoid defects, posterior glenoid osteoarticular augmentation can be used, and posterior glenoid opening wedge osteotomy can be considered in cases of posterior instability with pathologic retroversion.» For humeral head lesions, several surgical treatment options are available including subscapularis transposition into the humeral head defect, autograft or allograft reconstruction, humeral rotation osteotomy, and shoulder arthroplasty.

McLaughlin technique and humeral grafting provide similar results for treatment of reverse Hill-Sachs lesions: A systematic review

Purpose

Various surgical treatments have been described for the treatment of reverse Hill-Sachs lesions (rHSls) sized between 20% and 50% in the case of posterior shoulder dislocation. The aim of this systematic review is to report the clinical and radiological outcomes of subscapularis or lesser tuberosity transfer (McLaughlin and modified procedures) compared to bone or osteochondral autograft or allograft.

Methods

A systematic review was performed on five medical databases up to December 2022. The inclusion criteria were clinical studies of all levels of evidence describing clinical or radiological outcomes of either procedure. The assessment of the quality of evidence was performed with the Modified Coleman Score.

Results

A total of 14 studies (five prospective and nine retrospective) were included. A total of 153 patients (155 shoulders, 78.4% male) with a mean age of 37.2 (22-79) years were reviewed at an average follow-up of 53.1 (7.1-294) months. No relevant difference was found for the clinical scores, range of motion, complications and redislocation rate between the two treatments. Radiological osteoarthritis (OA) was reported in 11% (10/87) in the McLaughlin group and in 21% (16/73) in the humeral reconstruction group.

Conclusions

McLaughlin and anatomic humeral reconstruction lead to similar satisfactory clinical results and a low redislocation rate in the treatment of rHSls. Anatomic humeral reconstruction seems associated with an increased risk of OA progression.

Level of Evidence

Level IV.

Bilateral locked posterior shoulder dislocation overlooked for 15 months treated with the modified McLaughlin procedure: A case report

Neglected bilateral posterior shoulder dislocation is a rare injury caused primarily by an epileptic seizure. The injury is usually associated with a reverse Hill-Sachs lesion in the anteromedial aspect of the humeral head. The modified McLaughlin technique may avoid instability and osteoarthritis when 20 to 40% of the articular surface is affected by reverse Hill-Sachs. In this article, we present the clinical results of a case overlooked in the literature for the longest time, i.e., for 15 months. A 46-year-old male patient was receiving treatment for epilepsy for five years. There was no fall or trauma in the four seizures he had during this time. The last seizure was 15 months ago. When the patient presented to our clinic, both shoulders were symmetrically deformed, the anterior shoulder contour disappeared (empty socket sign), and there was a loss of upper contour. The computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a posteriorly locked dislocation with a reverse Hill-Sachs lesion in 32% of the left shoulder and 36% of the right shoulder. We applied the modified McLaughlin procedure to the dominant right shoulder and, two months later, we used it to the left shoulder (with a graft taken from the anterior superior iliac spine). At one-year of follow-up, both shoulders were moderately functional: forward elevation left 70° and right 50°, abduction left 40° and right 60°, and internal rotation: the back of the hand could touch the fifth lumbar vertebra. Meanwhile, the patient did not suffer from recurrent dislocation. The pre- and postoperative Constant-Murley Scores for the right and left shoulder were 30/52 and 11/48, respectively. Although the operational outcomes using the modified McLaughlin technique were not ideal, with no recurrence, the patient seemed to be satisfied with this outcome. In conclusion, in neglected locked shoulder fracture-dislocations, the modified McLaughlin technique is a method that can respond to the pathophysiology by eliminating reverse Hill-Sachs lesion.