Celebrating a Surgical Innovation: Dr. Neil Maki’s 1989 Arthroscopic Bankart Suture Repair
Orthopaedic history was made in Thibodaux in 1989, when Dr. Neil Maki a Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at LSU developed and performed the first intra-articular arthroscopic Bankart suture repair technique. This groundbreaking advance offered a safer, more effective alternative to existing surgical methods for shoulder instability.
Dr. Maki presented his pioneering work at the 1990 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting, where it drew national attention. His technique was later published in Orthopaedics Today, Orthopedic & Sports Medicine News, and in renowned surgeon *Lanny Johnson’s textbook on Shoulder Arthroscopy.
At the time, Dr. Johnson’s staple technique was the established arthroscopic method for Bankart repairs. However, Dr. Maki’s suture-based approach demonstrated clear advantages over metal staples, including reduced complications and improved healing potential. This innovation became the foundation for later advancements in arthroscopic shoulder surgery—paving the way for the use of suture anchors, suture passers, and modern arthroscopic knot-tying instrumentation and techniques.
LSU Orthopaedics would like to recognize Dr. Maki’s work as a critical milestone in the evolution of shoulder surgery and thank him for his contributions to the LSU Orthopaedics Program.
Below are the published articles by Orthopedic & Sports Medicine News and AAOS on Dr. Maki's findings and results in 1990.
