Treatment of recurrent anterior dislocation and subluxation of the glenohumeral joint in athletes.

This series of 93 Putti-Platt arthroplasties performed on 88 athletes without a recurrence and with the return of each athlete to full participation demonstrates the excellence of this procedure. The 5 year average follow-up further confirms this. Only one valid objection was found. This procedure performed on the dominant shoulder definitely restricts the athlete in throwing a baseball or passing a football, and is not advocated where either of these two functions must be preserved. From this series it was found that operative limitation of external rotation to about