Should teens get surgery after first shoulder dislocation? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07459777
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study will test whether early arthroscopic surgery or standard rehabilitation (immobilization followed by physical therapy) is better for teens aged 12-18 who have dislocated their shoulder for the first time. The goal is to see which approach reduces the chance of repeat dislocations, pain, and shoulder problems over one year. Only 30 participants will be enrolled to check if a larger trial is feasible.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Arthroscopic stabilization (surgery) or rehabilitation (immobilization and physical therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this pilot could pave the way for a larger trial that may show early surgery reduces repeat dislocations and long-term shoulder damage in teens.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (30 participants) testing feasibility, not effectiveness. Results may not apply to all teens, and surgery carries standard surgical risks like infection or stiffness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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12 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Males and females between the ages of 12 and 18, inclusive 2. Patients with a first-time traumatic anterior glenohumeral dislocation within the past 5 months 3. Anterior glenohumeral dislocation confirmed by radiography, reduction required by medical personnel, or demonstration of anterior apprehension on physical examination following injury to the shoulder 4. MRI or MRA demonstrating disruption of the glenohumeral soft tissues (including the labrum, periosteum, or inferior glenohumeral ligament)34 relating to instability 5. Patients who have the ability to speak, understand, and read the language of the clinical site 6. Provision of informed consent (age 18) or parental consent (ages 12-17, inclusive) 7. Provision of informed child assent (ages 12-17, inclusive) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Previous dislocation episodes or instability of the affected shoulder 2. Previous surgeries involving the affected shoulder 3. History or clinical exam findings of generalized ligamentous laxity (defined as a Beighton score of 4 or more points)35 4. History of multi-directional instability of either shoulder 5. Concomitant fracture of the tuberosity, humerus, or glenoid (excluding a Bankart or Hill Sachs lesion) 6. Bony Bankart lesion exceeding 15% of the glenoid surface (using the best-fit circle method on MRI)36 7. Hill Sachs lesion exceeding 15% of the humeral diameter (Measured on transaxial slice of MRI similar to Salomonsson et al.)37 8. A neurological injury of the affected arm 9. Patients who will likely have problems, in the judgement of the investigator, with maintaining follow-up 10. Any other reason(s) the investigator feels is relevant for excluding the patient
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, L8N3Z5, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Shoulder surgery showdown: which fix keeps the joint in place?