Treatment of chronic locked posterior dislocation of the shoulder with the modified McLaughlin procedure

Locked posterior dislocation of the shoulder (LPDS) is a challenging condition for the orthopedic surgeon. The problem with cases of chronic LPDS is that they may result in worse clinical outcomes because the size of the reverse Hill-Sachs lesion and cartilage damage can increase over time. Multiple treatment strategies have been reported in the literature for the treatment of chronic cases. The purpose of this study was to report our experience with the modified McLaughlin technique for the treatment of chronic LPDS and evaluate the mid- and long-term functional outcomes.

This was a retrospective single-center study including a consecutive series of 10 patients who underwent the modified McLaughlin procedure for the treatment of chronic LPDS. The time between dislocation and treatment ranged from 6 weeks to 14 months (mean, 20.9 weeks). Postoperative imaging and functional evaluation were performed with a minimum of 2 years' follow-up (range, 24-110 months). Functional outcomes were assessed by means of a visual analog scale score for pain and patient satisfaction regarding the operation, the Constant-Murley score, and the University of California, Los Angeles shoulder rating scale.

The mean follow-up period was 59.4 months (range, 24-110 months). Range of motion improved significantly after surgery: Mean forward flexion improved from 71° ± 5° to 126°± 37° (P < .001), mean external rotation improved from 7°± 7° to 52° ± 18° (P = .012), and mean internal rotation improved from gluteal region ± 1 vertebral level to L1 ± 4 vertebral levels (P = .001). Functional outcome measures demonstrated significant improvements: The mean Constant-Murley score improved from 22 ± 2.4 (range, 20-26) to 65 ± 21.5 (P < .001); the mean University of California, Los Angeles score improved from 9.8 ± 1.3 (range, 8-12) to 27 ± 9.7 (P < .001); and the mean visual analog scale score improved from 4.6 ± 0.8 (range, 3-6) to 2.4 ± 2.3 (P < .001). Of the patients, 8 (80%) were satisfied with the procedure. The 2 remaining cases had a delay from injury to diagnosis > 6 months and evolved with poor functional outcomes and severe glenohumeral degenerative joint disease. There were no cases of recurrent dislocation, infection, or neurologic injury during the follow-up.

Our study findings demonstrated that the modified McLaughlin procedure showed good results over a 2-year minimum follow-up period. The clinical outcomes of this procedure are worse when there is a delay from injury to diagnosis > 6 months.