Clinical and radiological outcome following arthroscopic Latarjet with cerclage FiberTape fixation with a minimum 1-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND

The rates of implant-related complications are significant following the Latarjet procedure using metal screws in patients with recurrent shoulder dislocation and bone loss. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the short-term outcome following the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure using cerclage FiberTape (Arthrex, Naples, FL, USA) combined with remplissage and capsulolabral repair. It was hypothesized that performing the procedure with cerclage FiberTape would provide sturdy fixation, comparable to the conventional method of using metal screws, while averting hardware-related complications attributed to the latter in published literature.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed in a single institution between 2020 and 2022, with all surgeries performed by a single fellowship-trained shoulder surgeon who has ample experience in performing arthroscopic screw Latarjet procedures. Patient demographics, number of dislocations before surgery, arm dominance, ligamentous laxity, type of sporting activity, Instability Severity Index Score, and percentage of bone loss on the glenoid and humeral sides were recorded. The patients were followed up with visual analog scale, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Rowe score, and Walch-Duplay score preoperatively and postoperatively. The coracoid graft position, healing, and remodeling were assessed with computed tomography scans at 3 months postoperatively. Minimum clinical follow-up was for a period of one year.

RESULTS

Overall, 10 patients (all males, average age 28 ± 8.8 years) were operated on with an arthroscopic Latarjet procedure using cerclage FiberTape. The minimum follow-up period was 12 months, and the mean follow-up was 13.2 months. The median and individual visual analog scores during arm motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores, Rowe scores, and Walch-Duplay scores improved in the follow-up period. Computed tomography scans at 3 months showed flushed graft position in 5 patients, medial graft position in two patients, and three patients showed graft nonunion with migration. Out of 10 patients, seven had good graft union in follow-up scans. None of the patients required revision surgery. All three patients with graft nonunion were kept under follow-up beyond the study period for recurrence of instability.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that arthroscopic Latarjet using cerclage FiberTape fixation combined with remplissage and capsulolabral repair resulted in high rate of graft loosening and migration (30%). Nonetheless, patients in whom the coracoid graft had united, as well as those in whom it had not, all had good to excellent functional and clinical outcomes, no complications, and did not require any revision surgery.