Results of the Putti-Platt operation for recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder.

Between 1973 and 1981, 101 patients had a Putti-Platt repair for recurrent dislocation of the shoulder; 89 of them were followed up and 43 underwent a clinical examination, 23 being assessed with the Cybex dynamometer. The 46 who did not attend were interviewed by telephone. The mean follow up time was 8 +/- 2 years (range 5-14 years). Redislocation occurred in 18 patients (20%), but this was twice as high in patients who were aged under 26 years at the time of operation compared with those who were older (29% versus 13%). The time of recurrence was between 1 and 11 years after operation. A decrease in strength and power of abduction, internal and external rotation, was found in the affected shoulder. Restriction of all measured movements, particularly external rotation, was also found in all patients. Nevertheless most had a high functional score and relatively few symptoms. We conclude that the Putti-Platt procedure has a high recurrence rate in younger patients, and we hesitate to recommend it for young active individuals.