Editorial Commentary: Free Bone Block With Remplissage Provides Less Translation Than Free Bone Block Alone in Shoulder Instability Patients With Bipolar Bone Loss.

Abstract

It would stand to reason that, in shoulder instability patients with bipolar bone loss, the combination of a bone block procedure and a remplissage procedure would provide better results than each one alone. Why would this be the case? When performing these procedures in the lateral decubitus position for patients with critical bipolar bone loss, the humeral head is anteriorly and inferiorly subluxed. This is most likely due to the incompetent restraints when in traction. A bone block procedure alone doesn't necessarily reduce the glenohumeral center of rotation; rather, it increases the "jump distance," making it more difficult for the humerus to dislocate over the bone block. However, the remplissage procedure not only makes the Hill-Sachs lesion extra-articular and prevents the defect from levering out the humerus, but also seems to pull the humeral head posteriorly centering it in the glenoid. This provides a posterior tether to the humeral head while increasing the jump distance over the bone block even further. In the future, one can anticipate a significant increase in remplissage-augmented bone block procedures in patients with bipolar bone loss.