A long-term retrospective study of the modified Bristow procedure.

A retrospective follow-up study is presented on the results in 51 patients who underwent the modified Bristow procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation or subluxation between 1972 and 1982. The average follow-up period was 95 months. Postoperatively, 6% of the patients had recurrent anterior dislocation and 4% had recurrent anterior subluxations. Another 4% of the patients developed posterior subluxation after surgery. Seventy-six percent of the patients felt that there was no postoperative limitation in their activities. Eighteen percent felt limited in throwing sports and 4% felt limited in swinging sports. Fourteen percent of the patients had screw complications that involved screws causing pain (6%), fractured screws (4%), bent screws (2%), and loose screws (2%). Additional surgical procedures were required in 14% of patients: screw removal (8%), hematoma drainage (2%), and reoperation using the modified Bristow procedure (4%). Ninety-two percent of the patients assessed their surgical results as excellent or good.