As we all know, shoulder injuries are very common and can easily be missed if not handled properly. So, first of all, let's talk about the shoulder injuries commonly encountered in day-to-day life, specifically shoulder instabilities. What does instability mean? It refers to the shoulder not being stable in its ball and socket joint.

The majority of stability is provided by the ligaments and surrounding muscles. If you experience any kind of trauma or injury to the shoulder, the ball of the shoulder joint may come out of the socket, leading to instability. This instability can be categorized into two types: traumatic instability caused by accidents, road traffic incidents, or sports injuries, and atraumatic instability, which occurs without any apparent cause, such as congenital or weak ligaments and muscles since birth.

For traumatic shoulder dislocations or injuries, surgery is usually the recommended treatment. However, this does not mean that conservative options are not considered. Conservative measures are attempted, but there is always a higher chance of recurrence with this type of injury, especially in younger individuals (under the age of 30) who engage in increased physical activities and sports.

If not treated properly, these injuries have a high chance of recurring and may even lead to future osteoarthritis of the shoulder, as indicated by literature and studies. This primarily addresses traumatic shoulder injuries.

On the other hand, when we consider atraumatic instability, which occurs without any associated trauma as mentioned earlier, it is usually caused by ligamentous laxity or congenital elasticity of the ligaments and muscles. Patients with these types of injuries should initially be treated conservatively, as opting for surgery right away can potentially lead to treatment failure. Therefore, proper clinical evaluation and counseling of the patient are crucial factors in determining the appropriate treatment approach.

These are the key aspects to understand about shoulder instability procedures.