Many operative methods have been reported in literature on the recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder joint. Conforty presented a paper about the Boytchev procedure with satisfactory results in 1978. From 1979 to 1987, we performed this procedure on 31shoulders of 31 patients with recurrent dislocation of the shoulder in our hospital. They were 24 males and 7 females whose ages ranged from 17 to 45 with an average age of 25.8. In 16of the patients, the right shoulder was affected and in the other 15, the left. The average time interval between the primary traumatic dislocation and the operation was 5.3 years with a mean frequency of recurrent dislocation being 8.8 times. The average operating time was 107minutes and the average blood loss was 113 grams. The main complication after the operation was musculocutaneous nerve palsy in 9 patients (29%), but these symptoms disappeared within six months after the operation. Two patients (6.5%) had recurrent dislocation after the operation and another two patients have experienced a feeling to subluxation but not to complete dislocation. The mean value of limitation in external rotation was 4.5 degrees compared with the unaffected side.
