Abstract
1. A series of experiments on the tensile strength of the anterior capsular mechanism have been performed. These show that in the young the weakest point is the glenoid labral attachment, whereas in the elderly calcification of tissues makes the capsule and subscapular tendon weaker.
2. It has been shown previously that glenoid labral detachment is the common injury in the young at the time of an acute dislocation, whereas capsular rupture and subscapularis tendon damage occur in the elderly.
3. These findings suggest that in an acute anterior dislocation of the shoulder the shoulder integuments give at their weakest point, and that it is the site of this weakest point and not the mechanism of injury which influences the liability to recurrence.
