Arthroscopic Bankart repair Procedure without Traction device in the Lateral decubitus Position

Arthroscopic repair of the capsulolabral defects is the main stay of treatment for recurrent instability of shoulder. Most of these arthroscopic procedures are performed with the patient either in beach chair position or in lateral position. To facilitate the visualization of the structures during the procedure in the lateral position a traction system is used. As there are certain drawbacks with the traction system such as the inability to maneuver the arm during the surgeries and the development of traction induced neurological complications, the authors have conducted a case controlled study to evaluate the usefulness of the lateral positioning without the traction system during the arthroscopic instability surgery. The results of the study demonstrate, lesser operative times, easy maneuverability of the arm during the procedure to identify various associated abnormalities of the biceps tendon, humeral head, the capsular structures, and the absence of neurological complications in those cases in which the surgery was carried out in the lateral position without the use of the traction system. In conclusion the authors report the usefuIness of performing the instability surgery in the lateral decubitus positioning without the traction system.