The surgical treatment of recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder.

The authors analysed the results obtained in 94 recurrent dislocations of the shoulder submitted to surgery between 1979 and 1988 according to the Latarjet method. After considering the reasons for selecting this method, they discuss some aspects of the physiopathology of recurrent dislocation and instability of the shoulder. the principles of the Latarjet method are described and the Patte modification, used by the authors since 1986, is briefly illustrated. The long-term results were evaluated according to the walch and Duplay evaluation scheme. Sixty-nine patients with a follow-up ranging from a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 9 were reviewed. The results were excellent or good in 93% of the cases.