Removal of loose cartilage from the shoulder is a surgical procedure that involves cutting away and removing pieces of loose, damaged, or separated cartilage from the shoulder. This procedure may also include shaving down bone spurs. This procedure is performed when there is injury to cartilage and its underlying bone, which can cause a loose fragment to break away and float freely in the shoulder joint. These loose fragments often cause mechanical symptoms such as locking, catching, and intermittent sharp pains, which this procedure can help relieve.