Complications Related to Latarjet Shoulder Stabilization: A Systematic Review

In cases of recurrent anterior shoulder instability with a glenoid defect, Latarjet procedures are widely used for stabilization. Although complications with this procedure have been reported, few studies have comprehensively analyzed issues related to the Latarjet procedure.

To identify the overall complication rate of the Latarjet procedure used for anterior shoulder instability and to compare the rate of complications between arthroscopic and open approaches.

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed by using the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Data on complications were extracted and classified as intraoperative, postoperative, or instability-related for further analysis. Quality assessments were performed with criteria from the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies (MINORS). A quantitative synthesis of data was conducted to compare the complication rates between arthroscopic and open approaches.

A total of 35 articles were included in this analysis. The MINORS score was 11.89. A total 2560 Latarjet procedures (2532 patients) were included. The overall complication rate was 16.1% (n = 412). The intraoperative complication rate was 3.4% (n = 87) and included a 1.9% (n = 48) incidence of nerve injuries and a 1.0% (n = 25) incidence of iatrogenic fractures. Screw problems, vascular injuries, and conversion arthroscopic to open surgery each occurred at a rate of <1%. The postoperative complication rate was 6.5% (n = 166), and the most common complication was nonunion (1.3%; n = 33). The instability-related complication rate was 6.2% (n = 159) and included a 1.5% (n = 38) rate of redislocation, a 2.9% (n = 75) rate of positive apprehension test, and a 1.0% (n = 26) rate of instability. Overall, 2.6% (n = 66) of patients required an unplanned secondary operation after the initial surgery. The arthroscopic approach was associated with a higher rate of intraoperative complications compared with the open approach (5.0% vs 2.9%; P =.020) and a lower rate of instability-related complications (3.1% vs 7.2%; P < .001).

The Latarjet procedure for anterior shoulder instability results in an overall complication rate of 16.1% and a reoperation rate of 2.6%. However, serious complications at short-term follow-up appear rare. When the arthroscopic approach was used, the rate of intraoperative complications was higher, although instability-related complications were lower when compared with the open approach.