Extract
Despite the paucity of long-term supportive studies, the use of thermal
energy for the treatment of shoulder instability has become increasingly
popular during the last decade. Axillary nerve injury, recurrent instability,
capsular obliteration, and adhesive capsulitis are known complications of
thermal capsulorrhaphy that have been documented in the
literature1-5.
A recent report highlighted the complication of chondrolysis following
shoulder arthroscopy in three
patients6; however,
none of these patients had chondrolysis severe enough to warrant arthroplasty.
We present the cases of two young athletes who had severe chondrolysis
following thermal capsulorrhaphy for the treatment of shoulder instability.
Our patients were informed that data concerning each case would be submitted
for publication.