Multicenter Clinical Cohort Study of Modified Flexible Fixation Latarjet Procedure for Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation

The shoulder joint is the most flexible joint of human body and shoulder joint dislocation is the most common joint dislocation of human body. Currently, there are different treatments for anterior shoulder dislocation, but for young patients with high sports requirements and apparent glenoid defect, soft tissue repair is not enough otherwise patients will suffer a high recurrent rate.

In 1954, M. Latarjet invented the coracoid process osteotomy and transposition technique, called the Latarjet procedure, which was a bony repair technique and was later promoted by G. Walch. This technique not only reconstructs the defect glenoid, the sling effect attached to the conjoint tendon also strengthens the anterior and inferior structure. Due to the advantages of low recurrence rate after Latarjet procedure, high rate of patients returning to sports and high satisfaction, it has become the only surgery that has been widely used in more than ten similar surgeries in history. In 2007, French physician Lafosse successfully completed the technique under arthroscopy. However, this surgery traditionally uses screws to fix the bone block, but screw fixation has difficulties like exposed nail head, uncertain bone block positioning, and high absorption rate of the bone block. In 2012, P.Boileau further improved this technique, innovating to avoid the above-mentioned complications through suture button fixation. However, since the Latarjet procedure was invented for decades, scholars have been worried about the unavoidable defects of this technique including the destruction of the coracoacomial arch, pectoralis minor injury and a series of complications caused by non-anatomical reconstruction of the glenoid.

In order to further develop this technology, make it more simple, easy to promote, and safer, based on our clinical and basic research on flexible fixation Latarjet technique for more than 8 years, we have innovatively developed an individualized and improved flexible fixation Latarjet technique that preserves the coracoacomial arch. We assumed that our modified technique, which retains the coracoacomial arch, 1) has the same satisfactory clinical effect. 2) The individualized reconstruction of glenoid defect is more identical with the biomechanics of the shoulder joint. The bone block will finally be remodeled according to the best fit circle. 3) The tiny subscapular tendon split is less damaged and safer.