Coracoid bone-block transfer for anterior shoulder instability
The Latarjet procedure is a bone-block operation for recurrent anterior shoulder instability: the coracoid process, with the conjoint tendon still attached, is detached and fixed onto the anteroinferior glenoid rim. This restores glenoid width where bone has been lost and adds a dynamic 'sling' effect from the conjoint tendon and lower subscapularis as the arm moves into abduction and external rotation.
It shapes the surgical decision-making conversation you'll have with patients before rehab even starts, since surgeons tend to reach for Latarjet over arthroscopic Bankart repair when there's significant glenoid bone loss, off-track Hill-Sachs lesions, or a high-risk profile (young, contact/collision athlete, hyperlaxity, prior failed repair). Knowing which procedure your patient has had changes your expectations for timeframes, load tolerance, and return-to-contact criteria.
In practice this is applied via pre-operative imaging (CT or MRI) to quantify glenoid bone loss and Hill-Sachs track status, guiding the choice between soft-tissue repair and bone-block reconstruction. Post-operatively, clinicians rely on the surgical report to understand graft position and fixation method, then structure rehab around bony healing timelines and coracoid/graft-specific milestones rather than standard soft-tissue Bankart protocols.
Latarjet carries its own complication profile distinct from Bankart repair, including graft nonunion or lysis, hardware-related issues, and a recognised risk of injury to the musculocutaneous or axillary nerve during dissection, so new neurological symptoms postoperatively warrant prompt escalation. It is not a universally superior option — it is a bigger procedure reserved for specific bone-loss or high-risk scenarios, and applying its rehab timelines or return-to-sport criteria to a soft-tissue-only repair (or vice versa) risks under- or over-loading the shoulder.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.