Table 4.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

Improved distraction

Cost and time savings (from performing arthroscopy in standard setting v needing specialized traction device)

Patient comfort

Potentially decreased likelihood of iatrogenic cartilage injury in tall patients

Potentially decreased postoperative pain and neurapraxia

Disadvantages

Pad can potentially be misplaced or moved during surgery (which has not occurred in our experience)

Potential decrease in traction distance (1-2 mm) as foam pad decreases in size with prolonged surgery (which is irrelevant after capsulotomy and labral repair)

Cost of foam pad (if directly conferred to patient)