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Orthopaedics · UK

Bankart repair - rebuilding the anterior labrum, properly.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private Bankart repair costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner upper-limb units, physiotherapy included as a package.

In short

£7,500–£12,000, home the same day.

Procedure Indicative range
Arthroscopic Bankart repair £7,500–£12,000
Arthroscopic Bankart + remplissage £9,000–£14,000
Open Bankart repair (± capsular shift) £8,500–£13,000
Revision Bankart repair £10,500–£15,500
MRI arthrogram of shoulder £850–£1,400
3D CT shoulder (glenoid bone loss) £450–£850
Post-op physiotherapy package (16 sessions) £960–£1,760

Prices vary by hospital, by surgeon and by whether remplissage or an open repair is chosen. The anchor count and brand rarely swing the total. Revision cases sit at the top of the range.

The problem

The right stabilisation for your shoulder - not a default operation.

Bankart repair is where general shoulder practice quietly under-delivers - the Hill-Sachs is missed, the ISIS score is skipped, or an arthroscopic repair is offered where a Latarjet was the honest answer.

  • Measure the bone loss first

    A 3D CT decides whether the glenoid and Hill-Sachs will let an arthroscopic Bankart hold - or push you towards Latarjet.

  • Add remplissage when it earns its keep

    A Hill-Sachs that engages needs a posterior capsulodesis at the same sitting. Skipping it is a common cause of early recurrence.

  • Score the shoulder, do not guess

    ISIS gives you a number - age, sport, ligamentous laxity, bone loss, Hill-Sachs. We share it before you consent.

When it helps

When a Bankart repair is the right operation.

The lesion patterns and clinical situations that a Bankart repair fixes - plus the one red flag that means A&E rather than a routine booking.

  • Anterior labral (Bankart) tear

    A confirmed detachment of the anteroinferior labrum from the glenoid rim on MRA - the classic lesion after a first anterior dislocation.

  • First-time anterior dislocation, high recurrence risk

    Under 25, in a contact or overhead sport, with a documented Bankart lesion. Natural history is over 70 percent recurrence - early repair beats waiting.

  • Recurrent anterior instability

    Two or more dislocations, or persistent subluxation with apprehension, in a shoulder that has already declared itself unstable.

  • Engaging Hill-Sachs lesion

    An off-track humeral head defect that catches on the glenoid in abduction and external rotation - needs remplissage or a bony procedure alongside the Bankart.

  • ALPSA lesion

    An anterior labroligamentous periosteal sleeve avulsion - the labrum has healed medially on the glenoid neck and needs to be mobilised and re-tensioned to the rim.

  • HAGL variant

    A humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament - an easily missed lesion on standard MRI that changes the operation and often needs an open repair.

  • Occupational or sporting urgency

    A rugby player, climber, gymnast or manual worker who needs a stable shoulder for the next season - the ISIS score guides Bankart versus Latarjet.

  • Red flag: locked dislocation or neurovascular injury

    A shoulder that will not reduce, or numbness and weakness in the arm after a dislocation, is a same-day A&E problem - not a routine referral.

Procedure options

Anchor technique, remplissage, open - the decisions we make with you.

What each variant involves - arthroscopic Bankart alone, with remplissage, open Bankart with capsular shift, portal choice and positioning, and when Latarjet is the honest answer.

  • Standard arthroscopic Bankart repair

    Three to four knotless or knotted suture anchors placed on the anteroinferior glenoid rim from 2 to 6 o’clock, re-tensioning the labrum and inferior glenohumeral ligament. The workhorse for most first-time and early recurrent cases.

  • Bankart with remplissage

    A posterior capsulodesis of the infraspinatus into a Hill-Sachs defect - fills the humeral notch so it cannot engage the glenoid. Adds 15–20 minutes and modest external rotation loss for a large drop in recurrence.

  • Open Bankart repair

    A deltopectoral approach with subscapularis split or takedown, direct anchor placement and a formal capsular shift. Preferred in revision, HAGL lesions, contact athletes, or where arthroscopic access is limited.

  • Bankart with capsular shift

    Advancement of a redundant inferior capsule to reduce the drive-through and correct the multidirectional element some anterior instability cases carry.

  • Arthroscopic bony Bankart repair

    When a glenoid rim fragment is present and under 20 percent of the surface, the bone block can be reduced and fixed alongside the labral repair - restoring bony containment without a Latarjet.

  • When to choose Latarjet instead

    Glenoid bone loss over 20 percent, engaging off-track Hill-Sachs, ISIS score of 4 or above, or a failed prior Bankart - a coracoid transfer gives a bony platform Bankart cannot match. See our Latarjet page.

  • Portal choice

    Standard posterior viewing portal, anterior mid-glenoid and antero-superior working portals. A 5 o’clock or trans-subscapularis portal may be added for the most inferior anchor.

  • Beach-chair vs lateral decubitus

    Lateral decubitus with traction opens the joint for inferior anchor placement. Beach-chair is easier for anaesthesia and remplissage. Surgeon preference - both give equivalent Bankart outcomes.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Arthroscopic Bankart repair is a well-established operation. The two things worth planning for are the six months of graded rehab and the small residual risk of recurrence - both handled better with the right selection up front.

  • GA with interscalene block, in a proper theatre

    The block gives 12–18 hours of pain control and lets the sling settle without break-through pain. Day-case is realistic; one night if pain is heavier or you live far from the hospital.

  • Recurrent instability - the headline number

    Around 5–15 percent recurrence at 2–5 years after arthroscopic Bankart in a well-selected shoulder, rising to 20–35 percent in high-ISIS contact athletes if Bankart alone is chosen over Latarjet.

  • Loss of external rotation

    Some stiffness in the last 10–15 degrees of external rotation is expected and usually welcome - it is a stability-for-motion trade-off. Larger losses come with remplissage and open repairs.

  • Anchor pull-out and chondral damage

    Suture anchor failure or chondral scuffing from prominent anchors is rare with modern biocomposite and all-suture designs, but is the reason surgeon experience matters.

  • Nerve injury

    Axillary nerve neurapraxia is rare - under 1 percent - and usually settles. Musculocutaneous injury is more relevant to Latarjet than Bankart.

  • Infection and DVT

    Deep infection under 0.5 percent for arthroscopic work. DVT is uncommon in shoulder surgery but calf pain, swelling or breathlessness needs the same-day team.

  • Rehabilitation is the operation

    The result at one year is decided by protected early rehab, staged return to overhead work, and a formal return-to-sport test - not by anchor number or brand.

  • Return-to-sport timelines

    Non-contact sport at 4 months, contact sport at 6 months, provided strength, range and functional tests are passed. Rushing the last two months is the most common cause of re-tear.

  • Red flags after surgery

    Fever, spreading redness, new hand weakness, calf pain, breathlessness, or a sudden pop with return of instability needs the same-day team or A&E.

Reading your operation note

Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whether the surgeon did an isolated Bankart, added remplissage, or converted to an open repair, the note keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant shoulder surgeon reviewing a patient's Bankart repair operation notes

A quiet reminder

The Impression section holds the sling protocol and the return-to-sport tests - read it first.

If you would like us to talk you through the operation note before your first physio session, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Diagnosis, side and instability score

    Anterior instability with Bankart lesion, side operated, ISIS score, and whether the plan was arthroscopic or open Bankart, with or without remplissage.

  2. 02 Technique

    Portals, anchors and adjuncts

    Portal set-up, number and type of suture anchors used, o’clock positions on the glenoid, whether the inferior glenohumeral ligament was re-tensioned, and any remplissage or capsular shift performed.

  3. 03 Findings

    Intra-articular findings

    Bankart, ALPSA or bony Bankart pattern, Hill-Sachs size and engagement, HAGL if present, cuff and biceps status, chondral wear. Shapes prognosis and the rehab protocol.

  4. 04 Impression

    Sling, rehab and return-to-sport plan

    Read this first: sling duration and position, physio start date, milestone checklist, and the return-to-sport tests you will need to pass at 4 and 6 months.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Bankart repair is usually covered when instability is documented with imaging and a clear dislocation history. Physiotherapy is often covered under the same episode.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about Bankart repair.

Quick answers on Bankart versus Latarjet, remplissage, rehab and cost.

  • What is a Bankart lesion, and what does the repair do?

    A Bankart lesion is a tear of the anteroinferior labrum off the glenoid rim, usually caused by a first anterior shoulder dislocation. Arthroscopic Bankart repair uses three to four suture anchors placed on the glenoid from about 2 to 6 o’clock to re-attach the labrum and re-tension the inferior glenohumeral ligament, restoring the anatomical bumper that stops the humeral head sliding forwards.

  • Do I need an arthroscopic Bankart, or should I be having a Latarjet?

    That is the central question and it is answered by the Instability Severity Index (ISIS) score and imaging. A young contact athlete with an ISIS of 4 or more, glenoid bone loss over 20 percent, or an engaging off-track Hill-Sachs generally does better with a Latarjet. Everyone else - most first-time and early recurrent cases - does well with an arthroscopic Bankart, often combined with remplissage for the Hill-Sachs.

  • What is remplissage and when is it added?

    Remplissage - French for filling - is a posterior capsulodesis that tethers the infraspinatus into a Hill-Sachs defect on the humeral head. It converts an off-track lesion into an on-track one so it cannot engage the glenoid in abduction and external rotation. It is added to a Bankart repair when the Hill-Sachs is significant on 3D CT and is one of the most reliable ways to lower recurrence without a bone block.

  • When is an open Bankart preferred over an arthroscopic one?

    Open Bankart is chosen for a HAGL lesion, for revision after a failed arthroscopic repair, for some collision athletes where a robust capsular shift is desired, and where arthroscopic access to the inferior glenoid is limited by anatomy. Modern arthroscopic techniques have narrowed the gap, but open repair still has a defined place and the outcomes remain excellent.

  • How long is recovery, and when can I return to sport?

    Sling with abduction pillow for 4–6 weeks. Passive range from week 2, active range from week 6, strengthening from week 12. Desk work in 1–2 weeks. Non-contact sport at 4 months, contact and collision sport at 6 months, once you pass strength, range and functional return-to-sport tests. Rushing the last stage is the single most common cause of re-tear.

  • How much does a private Bankart repair cost in the UK?

    Roughly £7,500–£12,000 for an arthroscopic Bankart repair, £9,000–£14,000 when remplissage is added for a Hill-Sachs, and £8,500–£13,000 for an open Bankart with capsular shift. Revision cases sit at £10,500–£15,500. Physiotherapy is quoted in the same envelope as a 16-session package.

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