This study was performed to investigate the initial failure strength of arthroscopic suture and staple techniques use to treat recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Eight canine shoulder complexes were fashioned so that four 1-cm wide strips of capsule remained attached to the glenoid in each specimen (total of 32 test specimens) these specimens were tested to tensile failure on an Instron model 1331 testing machine either intact (n = 5), or after the capsule was sharply dissected off the bone and repaired with an arthroscopic staple (n = 11) or arthroscopic suture technique (n = 12). The control group failed at 17.75 +/- 7.14 kg, the suture repair at 11.0 +/- 2.56 kg, and the staple repair at 4.77 +/- 2.32 kg. These failure strengths were all statistically different from each other (p less than 0.0001). All failures occurred at the capsular bone interface. The authors do not advance one technique over the other but do advise surgeons to be mindful of the results when instituting early shoulder motion after arthroscopic Bankart procedures.