Shoulder dislocations are a frequent event and the severity is often underestimated. A thorough clinical investigation and adapted imaging diagnostics are able to detect age-dependent injury patterns. A biphasic conservative treatment keeping the arm in a neutral to mild external rotation for 3 weeks has proven to be most effective and should be followed by an intensive physiotherapy. Nevertheless, conservative treatment protocols show unacceptable recurrence rates particularly in young men active in sport, therefore, surgical stabilisation is recommended. In the past open procedures were accepted as the gold standard, but today arthroscopic Bankart repair using suture anchors shows comparable recurrence rates. However, the clinical outcome with respect to the shoulder function is much better without compromising the subscapularis muscle.