Acute Hill-Sachs (HS) reduction represents a potential alternative method to remplissage for the treatment of an engaging HS lesion. The purpose of this study is to biomechanically compare the stabilising effects of a acute HS reduction technique and remplissage in a complex instability model.

This was a comparative cadaveric study of 6 shoulders. For the acute HS lesion, a unique model was used to create a 30% defect, compressing the subchondral bone while preserving the articular surface in a more anatomic fashion. In addition, a 15% glenoid defect was made in all specimens. The HS lesion was reduced through a lateral cortical window with a bone tamp, and the subchondral void was filled with Quickset (Arthrex) bone cement to prevent plastic deformation. Five scenarios were tested; intact specimen, bipolar lesion, Bankart repair, remplissage with Bankart repair and HS reduction technique with Bankart repair. Translation, kinematics and dislocation events were recorded.

For all 6 specimens no dislocations occurred after either remplissage or the reduction technique. At 90 degrees of abduction and external rotation (ABER), anterior-inferior translation was 11.1 mm (SD 0.9) for the bipolar lesion. This was significantly reduced following both remplissage (5.1±0.7mm; p<0.001) and HS reduction (4.4±0.3mm; p<0.001). For anterior-inferior translation there was no significant difference in translation between the reduction technique and remplissage (p=0.91). At 90 degrees of ABER, the intact specimens average joint stiffness was 7.0±1.0N/mm, which was not significantly different from the remplissage (7.8±0.9 N/mm; p=0.9) and reduction technique (9.1±0.6 N/mm; p=0.50). Compared with an isolated Bankart repair, the average external rotation loss after also performing a remplissage procedure was 4.3±3.5 deg (p=0.65), while average ER loss following HS reduction was 1.1±3.3 deg (p=0.99). There was no significant difference in external rotation between remplissage and the reduction technique (p=0.83).

Similar joint stability was conferred following both procedures, though remplissage had 3.2-degree loss of ER in comparison. While not statistically significant, even slight ER loss may be clinically detrimental in overhead athletes. Overall, the acute reduction technique is a more anatomic alternative to the remplissage procedure with similar ability to prevent dislocation in a biomechanical model, making it a viable treatment option for engaging Hill-Sachs lesions.