A Prospective Comparative Study of Arthroscopic Versus Mini-Open Latarjet Procedure With a Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Purpose: To compare postoperative pain during the first postoperative week and the position of the coracoid bone block at the anterior aspect of the glenoid after the arthroscopic and the mini-open Latarjet procedure. The secondary purpose was to assess functional results and recurrence after at least 2 years of follow-up. Methods: This comparative prospective study included patients who underwent a Latarjet-Bristow procedure for anterior shoulder instability in 2012. The Latarjet procedure was performed by a mini-open approach (G1) in one center and by an arthroscopic approach (G2) in the other. The main evaluation criterion was average shoulder pain during the first postoperative week assessed by the patient on a standard 10-cm visual analog scale (0-10). Secondary criteria were consumption of analgesics during the first week, the position of the coracoid bone block on radiograph and computed tomography scan at the 3-month follow-up and clinical outcomes (Western Ontario Score Index and new surgery) after at least 2 years of follow-up. Results: Fifty-eight patients were included, 22 G1 and 36 G2, 13 women and 45 men, mean age 26.9 +/- 7.7 years. The mean follow-up was 29.8 +/- 4.4 months. There was significantly less pain in the arthroscopic Latarjet group than in the mini-open group during the first postoperative week (2.5 +/- 1.4 vs 1.2 +/- 1.2, P=.002) with comparable consumption of analgesics (P>.05). The arthroscopic Latarjet procedure resulted in a more lateral coracoid bone block (P=.04) and a better equatorial position than the mini-open technique (P=.02). Three patients underwent revision surgery (1 recurrence [2.8%], 1 block fracture, 1 screw ablation) in the arthroscopic group, none in the mini-open group (P=.54). At the final follow-up, the Western Ontario Score Index score was good in all patients (G1: 78.5 +/- 7.5% vs G2: 82.3 +/- 7%, P=.03). Conclusions: This prospective comparative study showed that the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure was significantly less painful than the mini-open procedure during the first postoperative week. The clinical outcomes were comparable after at least 2 years of follow-up. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective comparative study.