A Surgery to Prevent Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation
Shoulder dislocationsare common injuries, especially in young, active people.
Latarjet surgery can be done to prevent repeated dislocations.
Some people develop suchsevere instability of the ball-and-socket shoulder jointthat dislocations can occur with simple activities or while sleeping.
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Each time the shoulder dislocates, further damage can occur to the joint.
During that initial dislocation, or with subsequent dislocations, additional damage to other structures can occur.
Often cartilage or bone about the socket is damaged, and these injuries may be more difficult to repair.
Damage to the ball is called aHill-Sachs lesion.
Damage to the socket causes fractures and bone loss to the glenoid (the socket of the shoulder).
When the shoulder socket is damaged, the socket may progressively get worn away.
As this occurs, the chance of recurrent dislocation goes up.
One treatment for glenoid bone loss is called Latarjet surgery.
Latarjet Surgery
The Latarjet procedure was designed to augment the glenoid with additional bone.
The bone comes from the scapula (shoulder blade) and is a hook of bone called the coracoid.
Once in position, the coracoid is screwed to the shoulder socket.
The Latarjet is a very successful procedure at restoring stability to the shoulder joint.
In fact, historically, this surgery was used as a standard treatment for people with shoulder dislocations.
As newer surgical techniques have improved, the Latarjet is now seldom used for a standard dislocation repair.
Rehabilitation following Latarjet surgery lasts for at least 4-6 months.
The initial phases of rehabilitation are needed to protect the shoulder sufficiently to allow for full bone healing.
Therefore, the mobility is restricted for the first few months while bone healing occurs.
At that point, gradually the shoulder motion can be increased, followed by progressive strengthening.
Complications
Complications are unusual after Laterjet surgery, but there are some significant concerns.
This is not a minor surgical procedure, and rehab after surgery can be lengthy.
Some of the unique concerns include a nonunion of the bone that is transferred to the shoulder socket.
Many major nerves surround the coracoid in the front of the shoulder.
Damage to these nerves is possible during the surgical procedure.
This is usually acceptable given the improvement in the stability of the joint.
People who’ve dislocated their shoulder once are much more likely to have repeat dislocations.
Over time, shoulder instability can become so severe that people dislocate their shoulder with normal movements.
so you can treat this problem, something needs to be done to rebuild that bone.
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