Return to sports after shoulder stabilization

Traumatic instability of the shoulder joint usually occurs in young physically active patients who strive for a full recovery to their previous level of sports activities. Nowadays, operative stabilization of the shoulder joint demonstrates good results in terms of return to sports. Both the surgical technique and postoperative rehabilitation must be consistently implemented in order to achieve an optimal clinical outcome. Among other known factors the sporting activity of the patient significantly affects the re-dislocation rate. Specific criteria might help surgeons to define the optimal point in time for the resumption of sporting activities, despite a lack of evidence-based recommendations. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.