Thirty-six shoulders with recurrent anterior dislocation or subluxation
in thirty-four adolescent patients were treated with a modified Bristow
procedure. The average length of follow-up was five years and ten months.
Postoperatively, two patients had recurrent anterior subluxation on one
occasion and none had recurrent anterior dislocation. The average loss of
external rotation was 10 degrees. Despite the fact that young patients have
a high rate of recurrence after anterior dislocation or subluxation of the
shoulder, the modified Bristow procedure is an effective method of treating
recurrent anterior instability of the shoulder in adolescents.