Background: Shoulder dislocation is a common injury in athletes. Surgical and non-surgical therapy options are still the subject of controversial debate.
Study aim: This article presents important considerations for decision-making and current concepts for the therapy of shoulder dislocation in athletes.
Methods: A selective literature search was carried out in PubMed.
Results: Surgical and non-surgical therapy options are described in the literature without yet defining a gold standard.
Conclusion: Early surgical stabilization is currently recommended in young athletes. For decision-making numerous sport and patient-related factors need to be considered. Most athletes are able to return to the pre-injury level after surgical stabilization.