Sports Injuries and Shoulder Damage: The Bankart and Hill-Sachs Lesions Connection

If you’re an athlete, particularly one who participates in contact sports like football, basketball, or hockey, you may be at risk for shoulder injuries such as Bankart and Hill-Sachs lesions. These injuries are complex and can be associated with shoulder dislocations and injuries to different elements of the gleno-humeral joint, including the bones, the humerus, and glenoid on the scapula, and the structure made of connective tissue, the glenoid labrum.

Bankart and Hill-Sachs lesions are injuries that occur following one or multiple shoulder dislocations. A Bankart lesion is an injury to the glenoid fossa on the scapular side, while a Hill-Sachs lesion is an injury to the head of the humerus. Both types of injuries can cause significant pain, weakness, and limited mobility in the shoulder.

So, how can these injuries cause each other? In some cases, a Bankart lesion can lead to a Hill-Sachs lesion. If the shoulder dislocates anteriorly (toward the front of the body), the head of the humerus can slam into the anterior rim of the glenoid, causing an impression fracture (Hill-Sachs lesion) on the postero-lateral aspect of the humeral head. Conversely, if a Hill-Sachs lesion is large enough, it can cause a Bankart lesion by dislodging and detaching the labrum from the glenoid rim.

Bankart lesions can be classified into two types: one with and one without a fracture of the glenoid. A Bankart lesion without a fracture of the…