[Objective] This study comprehensively investigated the applicability， failure mechanisms， and adaptability characteristics of different bank protection structures to provide theoretical basis and technical support for structural optimization， engineering design， and the development of new ecological revetment technologies under complex river conditions in the middle reaches of Yangtze River. [Methods] Typical bank collapse cases and operational data from engineering practices in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River were collected and analyzed. Representative revetment structures， including riprap， articulated concrete mattresses， gabions， geotextile sand pillows， pebble mattresses， precast concrete blocks， Reno mattresses， geogrid stone mattresses， and vegetative revetments， were systematically investigated. Their mechanical properties， protection mechanisms， failure modes， and improvement measures were summarized by integrating previous physical experiments， numerical simulations， field observations， and engineering applications. A comprehensive evaluation framework accounting for ecological， hydrological and sediment conditions and riverbed evolution processes was established. [Results] Riprap revetment remains the most widely used protection type in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River， while ecological concrete， Reno mattresses， and gabions have been increasingly adopted， reflecting a shift from conventional engineering protection to environmentally oriented designs. Revetment stability is jointly influenced by hydrodynamic conditions， water level fluctuations， riverbed deformation， bank material properties， structural parameters， and construction quality， among which flow scouring is the dominant factor responsible for structural failures. After bank protection works are implemented， channel deformation tends to shift from lateral migration to vertical erosion， resulting in deep-channel encroachment and severe toe scour. Consequently， failures usually initiate from underwater toe protection. Different revetment structures exhibit distinct characteristics. Traditional structures such as riprap and dry masonry show favorable economic performance but relatively poor ecological adaptability， whereas vegetative revetments provide the highest ecological benefits but insufficient resistance to strong hydraulic disturbances. Articulated concrete mattresses， gabions， and Reno mattresses exhibit balanced flexibility and integrity. Geogrid stone mattresses possess strong hydraulic adaptability but relatively high construction and maintenance costs. Comprehensive evaluation demonstrates that ecological concrete revetments perform well in hydraulic， ecological， and economic aspects and exhibit obvious advantages in overall adaptability. [Conclusions] The adaptability of bank protection engineering in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River is characterized by the coupling effects of multiple factors， and structural stability depends not only on the properties of the revetment itself but also on river regime evolution， hydrological conditions， and maintenance practices. For reaches subjected to severe scouring and strong flow attacks， rigid-flexible combined structures with high erosion resistance should be preferentially adopted， whereas ecological revetments with good permeability and environmental compatibility are more suitable for relatively stable reaches. Compared with traditional structures， new ecological revetments integrating structural stability and ecological functions exhibit better comprehensive adaptability， among which ecological concrete shows great development potential. The proposed multi-dimensional evaluation framework enables a systematic comparison of different revetment types and provides a new analytical approach for revetment optimization and bank collapse prevention. Future studies should strengthen the integration of bank protection engineering with river regime prediction and intelligent monitoring technologies to improve the long-term adaptability of revetment systems under continuously changing hydrological and sediment conditions.