Basics of Shoulder Arthroscopy Part I: Beach-Chair Patient Positioning and Operating Room Setup

Abstract

A broad range of shoulder pathologies are treated with shoulder arthroscopy due to its minimally invasive nature. Mastering the fundamentals is critical for high-quality care; this includes patient positioning. Surgeons must consider the advantages and disadvantages of the 2 most prominent patient positions: lateral decubitus and beach chair. The beach-chair position offers an intuitive anatomic view with the advantage of shoulder maneuverability. Understanding the associated pitfalls related to patient hemodynamics; head, neck, and shoulder positioning; and protection of bony prominences can guide the operative care team to obtaining a safe position for the patient. The purpose of this Technical Note and video is to present and demonstrate a reproducible and teachable method for safely positioning a patient in the beach-chair position for shoulder arthroscopy, as well as to describe the associated advantages and disadvantages.