Thirty-six sportsmen with recurrent anterior dislocation or subluxation of the shoulder were examined 1 to 7 years after surgery to know whether they had returned to their preoperative athletic activities. The age at time of surgery ranged from 16 to 36 years old. Twenty-five patients had Bankart's procedure,5 of them combined with reinforced cruciate repair, while 11 were treated with Bristow's procedure.
At fol l o w-up,14 of the 36 patients reported a decline in their athletic ability after surgery. This was true not only in contact or throwing sports but also in swimming and judo. We conclude that surgical treatment for recurrent instability of the shoulder does not warrant full recovery in sports.
