Athletes With Anterior Shoulder Instability: A Prospective Study on Player Perceptions of Injury and Treatment

Background: Many in-season athletes choose to delay or avoid surgery in order to continue playing and avoid downtime such as missed games or seasons.Purpose: To learn about the attitudes toward the injury and treatment of in-season shoulder instability in competitive athletes who have suffered a shoulder dislocation.Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods: A study-specific questionnaire about athletes’ perceptions of injury and treatment was administered to injured players. Secondary outcomes included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI). Mean scores and standard deviations were calculated, and between-group analyses with t tests were performed to compare the ASES and WOSI scores. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for analyses performed on the following groups: early operative versus nonoperative management; age 1 dislocation were less likely to believe that the shoulder would heal without surgery ( P < .025). Most athletes agreed that seasonal timing and recruitment prospects were an important factor in their decision in favor of surgery ( P < .038), and most agreed that their doctor influenced their ultimate treatment decision ( P < .006). Most athletes also agreed that a repeat dislocation would cause further injury to the shoulder.Conclusion: Treatment decisions were most strongly related to the athletes’ perceptions of injury severity and the influence of the treating surgeon.