Arthroscopic Removal of Metallic Suture Anchors Placed after Bankart Repair

Purpose: The aim of this study was to present our surgical outcomes in patients who underwent arthroscopic removal of poorly positioned and/or proud metallic suture anchors applied during or after Bankart repair. Methods: A total of 14 patients who underwent open or arthroscopic Bankart repair with an initial presentation of traumatic shoulder instability between January 2010 and January 2017 and admitted to our center with complaints due to poorly positioned and/or proud metallic suture anchors were enrolled. Pre- and intraoperative findings, surgical outcomes and complications were reviewed. Diagnosis of proud or poorly positioned suture anchors was established using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of shoulder in five cases, and with shoulder arthroscopy in nine patients. Outcomes were measured by the use of the CONSTANT score and American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score. Results: Eleven male and three female patients with an average age of 29.21 ± 5.78 (range, 20 to 42) were enrolled in the present study. Revision Bankart repair was performed arthroscopically in all patients. The mean follow-up period was 40.4 months, ranging from 18 to 64 months. The preoperative Constant and ASES scores were 68.43 ± 7.05 and 38.3 ± 19.4, respectively. Postoperatively, the scores were 89.64 ± 5.39 and 89.07 ± 3.89, respectively (p < 0.01). Conclusion: To conclude, arthroscopy may yield an effective surgical option for removal of poorly positioned and/or proud metallic suture anchors after Bankart repair. However, further clinical reports on larger series are warranted to document the efficacy of this procedure in selected cases.