Understanding Shoulder Instability

A shoulder dislocation can be over in minutes. The questions it leaves behind can last much longer.

Will it happen again? Was something torn? Do I need surgery? Can I return to sport? And can I trust my shoulder again?

Understanding Shoulder Instability gives patients clear, practical answers to these questions.

Written by consultant orthopaedic shoulder surgeon Professor Mohamed A. Imam, this accessible guide explains what happens when a shoulder dislocates, why some shoulders become repeatedly unstable, how doctors interpret scans, and how treatment decisions are made.

Using straightforward language and clear illustrations, the book takes readers from the first dislocation through diagnosis, rehabilitation, surgery and return to everyday life and sport.

Readers will discover:

• What shoulder instability, subluxation and dislocation actually mean

• Why some shoulders repeatedly come out

• What Bankart and Hill-Sachs lesions are

• How MRI, CT and other investigations influence treatment

• Why on-track and off-track lesions matter

• When rehabilitation may be enough

• When surgery should be considered

• How Bankart repair, Remplissage, Latarjet and bone-block procedures work

• How surgeons use the BoTH classification when choosing treatment

• Practical advice for sleeping, driving, working, lifting and everyday activities

• How rehabilitation progresses after injury or surgery

• How to approach a safe return to sport

The book also addresses posterior, atraumatic and multidirectional instability and includes a glossary, practical questions to take to appointments and guidance on when to seek further medical attention.

Designed for patients and families rather than specialists, Understanding Shoulder Instability helps readers understand the reasoning behind their treatment so they can have better-informed conversations with their healthcare team.

Clear information. Better questions. More confident decisions.