Effects of Rehabilitation in Bankart Lesion in Non-athletes: A Report of Three Cases

A Bankart lesion is a common traumatic sports injury of the glenohumeral joint. When the shoulder is dislocated, the connective tissue surrounding the joint may tear or rupture. This study aimed to describe the initial dislocation, treatment, medical treatment, rehabilitation outcomes at 3 and 8 months, and return to daily life for three patients. Patient 1 was a 28-year-old male office worker who enjoyed fitness and weight training. His injury was sustained by a fall from his bicycle and subsequent performance of pull-up exercises. Surgery was recommended for repair of the anterior and inferior labrum tear. Reassessment of the surgery was performed after 2 months of rehabilitation. The patient was asked to exercise once a week at a rehabilitation center and to perform home-based exercises. In the first 2 months, the main exercise consisted of range of motion (ROM) exercises and stretching. Thereafter, muscle strengthening, using tubing, equipment and body weight exercises, and proprioceptive exercises were performed to gradually improve muscle strength and for return to daily activities. ROM progressively increased, with recovery of normal range at 2 months post-surgery. However, pain decreased only slightly, with a visual analog score of 6 out of 10 at 2 months post-surgery. At 8 months, the pain was bearable, without causing discomfort. Muscle strength remained almost unchanged initially but gradually recovered, although with a residual deficit of 20–30% in flexion, adduction and internal rotation. Considering the prolonged rehabilitation after surgery, future studies are warranted to analyze the long-term effects of non-surgical therapies by accumulating more cases and developing effective exercise rehabilitation programs.