Arthroscopic Bankart repair improves upper limb exercise capacity, shoulder function and quality of life

BACKGROUND/AIM: Anterior glenohumeral instability is an important cause of shoulder disability. The aim of the present study was to investigate arm exercise capacity in patients with anterior glenohumeral instability before and after arthroscopic Bankart repair and to compare the results with those of healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient group included a total of 11 males between the ages of 18 and 40 years. The control group consisted of 13 healthy males with an age range of 23 to 41 years. An incremental arm crank exercise test was performed to determine upper limb exercise capacity, as expressed by peak oxygen consumption (VO(2peak)). The shoulder function of the patients was evaluated by the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI), and the quality of life was assessed with the Short Form-36 (SF-36). All evaluations were performed preoperatively, and at the postop 3(rd) and 6(th) months. RESULTS: The patient group had lower VO(2peak) and exhaustion duration at the preoperative assessment (p = 0.025 and p = 0.007, respectively). SF-36 domains were lower in patients (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in VO(2peak) between preoperative and postop 6(th)-month measurements and between postop 3(rd) and 6(th)-month measurements (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The total WOSI score increased from preoperative 50.27% to 57.77% at the postop 3(rd) month, and to 65.56% at the final follow-up. Although improvements were detected in all SF-36 domains at postop follow-ups, they were not statistically significant except role limitations due to the physical problems domain (p = 0.006). There were no significant differences between controls and patients at the postop 3(rd) and 6(th) months with regard to exercise test parameters except the peak rating of perceived exertion. CONCLUSION: Shoulder function, exercise capacity, and quality of life were lower in the patient group and improved after arthroscopic Bankart repair. Clinicians should use the exercise capacity assessment for the evaluation of the recovery of shoulder function after providing stabilization.