The shoulder is a ‘ball-and-socket’ joint and it works best when the ball (the humeral head) stays near the centre of the socket (the glenoid). Instability is where the ball slides to close too the edge of the socket and in some cases over the edge resulting in dislocation.
It’s one thing to diagnose ‘shoulder instability’ but not all shoulder instabilities are the same. We need to consider how the issue came about, the direction, the severity and not to mention that each shoulder is as unique as a thumbprint!
For decades we have tried to accurately measure the position and movement of the ball within the socket and as technology has advanced, so too has our ability to measure things like shoulder instability. We are excited about our ultrasound study which aims to do just that! This may prove to be a valuable tool that enhances our clinical understanding and management of shoulder issues such as instability.