ObjectiveTo summarize the diagnosis and measurement methods of bone defect in anterior shoulder instability (glenoid bone defect and Hill-Sachs lesion).MethodsThe related literature on the diagnosis and measurement of the bone defect in anterior shoulder instability was reviewed and summarized.ResultsThe commonly used techniques for the diagnosis of anterior glenoid bone defect and Hill-Sachs lesion of humeral head include X-ray, CT, MRI, arthroscopy, arthrography. The methods for measuring the degree of anterior glenoid bone defect include Griffith method, glenoid index method, Pico method, and best-fit circle method. The indexes for measuring the Hill-Sachs lesion include the length, width, depth, and volume. X-ray is mainly used for primary screening. Best-fit circle method on three-dimensional (3D) CT reconstruction is commonly used to measure the glenoid bone defect currently. Glenoid track theory on 3D CT reconstruction is popular in recent years. Reliability of measuring the glenoid bone defect and Hill-Sachs lesion with MRI and arthroscopy is still debatable. Arthrography is more and more used in the diagnosis of shoulder joint instability of bone defect and concomitant soft tissue injury.ConclusionHow to improve the accuracy of evaluating glenoid bone defect and Hill-Sachs lesion before surgery still need further study.