We had seven cases with multi-directional instability of the shoulder joint associated with neurological or vascular disorders. Six cases had numbness and dullness in their ulnar side of the forearm and hand, and weakness of grip power. One had edematous swelling and cyanosis in the forearm and hand. At first, we treated them conservatively. For these patients, muscle strengthening exercise sometimes causes shoulder pain and apprehension of the shoulder joint. So only two cases could get good results. But we did use the Kumanoto University Scapular Fixed Band for these patients, and we could get better results. Five cases recovered. Only one of them was treated surgically.
In these patients, neurobundle-graphy of the brachial plexus showed stretching figures. From the findings of the neurobundle-graphy and the clinical findings, we suspect that severe shoulder instability induces strerching of the brachial plexus, and causes irritated neuritis.
Some of them sometimes have psychological problems, so we have to be very careful to dicide surgical treatment.
