Glenohumeral joint surgery has experienced an all-out revolution in the past decade. Previously, glenohumeral joint surgery involved traditional, open surgery where an incision is made in the skin through which the operation is performed. Open surgery also involves removing the muscles on the glenohumeral joint to reach the joint area.

Arthroscopic operations have replaced traditional, open surgery as the primary technique in treating glenohumeral joints. The greatest benefits of arthroscopic operations are precision and minimal damage to tissue. The arthroscopic technique has created completely new types of procedures which have made the operation considerably easier, more effective and more precise. A good example is the stabilization operation, i.e. Bankart procedure, performed when the glenohumeral joint has dislocated.

The downside to the procedure is the difficulty of the necessary techniques. Learning to perform the glenohumeral joint arthroscopic technique well enough to be able to perform all of the procedures associated with modern arthroscopic surgery takes years and calls for “deeper pursuits”. This, of course, also pertains to other fields of arthroscopic surgery and has led to a situation where more and more surgeons are concentrating on just one field; there are glenohumeral joint surgeons, foot surgeons and knee surgeons. This is a general trend that has spread throughout the world. It should also be noted that technical development and knowledge in the fields is increasing at an immense speed. For this reason, specializing in increasingly more specific sectors is becoming essential.