Arthroscopic Latarjet procedure: optimized surgical technique

Background: Arthroscopic Latarjet procedure is accepted as effective and safe. However, it is more likely to be challenging in execution. Therefore, the optimization of the surgical technique remains to be worth examination. Objective: To examine the clinical outcomes of the modified arthroscopic Latarjet procedure through an analysis of average operative time and complications rate. Materials and method: A total of 171 patients who underwent arthroscopic Latarjet surgery between 2013 and 2020 were included. Among them, 120 modified arthroscopic procedures were performed. The described modified arthroscopic Latarjet procedure is mainly characterized by the reduction of operative stages, arthroscopic portals, and surgical instruments used respectively. Clinical findings were recorded postoperatively. Operative time and complications were assessed. All procedures were completed by one surgeon. Results: By statistical analysis, a significant association between the operative time and the number of surgical interventions was found (p <0.05). After 120 procedures, the average operative time demonstrated a constant reduction and reached 62.8 minutes (p <0.05). In total, 13 episodes of complications were recorded (7.6%). 9 cases of intraoperative complications (5.3%) conversed into the open Latarjet procedure. 4 episodes of postoperative complications (2.3%) were documented, among them 2 hematomas which were treated conservatively and 2 cases of recurrent shoulder instability. There were no neurological, neurovascular, and infection complications seen in our cohort. After the modified arthroscopic Latarjet procedure, only 4 cases of complications (3.3%) were reported. Discussion: The developed modified arthroscopic Latarjet procedure is characterized with reproducible reduced operative time comparable to open Latarjet procedure. The overall rate of complications did not exceed the level mentioned in the literature. Conclusion: The described modified arthroscopic Latarjet procedure is safe and characterized with significant improvements in reduction of operative time and low complication rate.