The Latarjet Procedure for Shoulder Instability: Recovery, Risks and Success Rates

Key Takeaways

• The Latarjet procedure treats recurrent anterior shoulder instability by transferring a small piece of bone and tendon to rebuild a stable socket, and it is often chosen after bone loss or a keyhole repair that has not held.
• Recovery is staged over roughly four to six months, moving from sling protection to range of motion, then strengthening, then a gradual return to sport and work.
• Reported redislocation rates are low and most people return to their previous activities, though outcomes vary from person to person.
• Risks such as nerve irritation, graft or hardware issues, stiffness, and later arthritis are worth weighing carefully with a qualified surgeon.

A shoulder that keeps slipping out of place does more than ache. It can chip away at your confidence with every reach overhead and every awkward tackle. For people whose shoulder dislocates again and again, an operation such as the Latarjet procedure can become the clearest route back to a joint they trust.

The Latarjet procedure is a well-established operation for recurrent anterior shoulder instability, often considered when the socket has lost bone or an earlier keyhole repair has not held. At MTP Health, it sits within a shoulder program led by a specialist shoulder surgeon, pairing surgery with guided, individual rehabilitation.

What the Latarjet Procedure Involves

The operation has a single aim, a shoulder that stays in its socket, and it works in more than one way:

Coracoid Bone Transfer

The surgeon takes the coracoid process, a small hook of bone at the front of the shoulder blade, along with the tendon attached to it, and fixes it to the front rim of the glenoid, the shallow socket the arm bone sits in. It is usually held in place with two screws, and in some cases with suture buttons. The technique was first described by French surgeon Michel Latarjet in 1954.

Triple Stabilising Effect

Three things work together to steady the joint. The transferred bone deepens a socket that repeated dislocations have eroded. The tendon that travels with it forms a supportive sling across the front of the shoulder, tightening as the arm lifts and rotates into the positions where dislocation usually happens. The capsule and ligaments are then repaired over the top. This combination is why the operation can hold up in shoulders where a soft tissue repair alone would likely give way.

Open and Arthroscopic Approaches

The Latarjet procedure is most commonly performed open, through a small incision at the front of the shoulder, with the subscapularis muscle gently split to reach the socket. Some surgeons perform it arthroscopically using keyhole instruments, and the choice usually comes down to the surgeon’s experience and the particular shoulder.

Who the Operation Suits

This operation is not the first step for an unstable shoulder, and it is usually reserved for situations where simpler measures carry a real chance of failing. MTP Health’s orthopaedic surgeons may raise it in a few situations:

Recurrent Anterior Instability

Shoulders that dislocate forwards over and over, despite activity changes and a solid course of rehabilitation, can reach a point where the joint no longer feels dependable. Each dislocation risks adding damage to the bone and soft tissue. When non-operative measures have been given a fair trial and instability keeps returning, surgery becomes a reasonable option to discuss.

Significant Glenoid Bone Loss

Every dislocation can shave away a little more of the socket’s front edge. Once that bone loss reaches around 15% to 20%, and sometimes less, repairing the torn labrum on its own may not be enough to keep the shoulder in place, because the socket is too shallow. Rebuilding the bone becomes the priority, and this is where the Latarjet procedure has a clear role. A matching dent on the ball of the joint, known as a Hill-Sachs lesion, can add to the problem when it catches on the worn socket edge, and bone loss on both sides often tips the decision towards adding bone rather than repairing soft tissue alone.

Failed Previous Stabilisation

When an earlier keyhole stabilisation, often a Bankart repair, has not held and the shoulder dislocates again, the Latarjet procedure is a common next option. Rather than relying on soft tissue that has already failed once, it adds fresh bone and a tendon sling, which tends to give a sturdier result in a shoulder that has proven difficult to stabilise.

High-Demand Sport and Physical Work

A young age at the first dislocation, involvement in contact or collision sports such as rugby and Australian rules football, overhead athletic demands, and physically demanding jobs all raise the chance of another dislocation. For people in these groups, a surgeon may lean towards the sturdier repair the Latarjet procedure offers, weighing it against the individual’s goals and shoulder.

Getting Ready for Surgery

Careful preparation tends to make surgery smoother and recovery more predictable, and much of the groundwork happens in the weeks beforehand:

Confirming the Diagnosis With Imaging

Detailed imaging guides the plan. A computed tomography (CT) scan measures how much bone has been lost from the socket, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows the labrum, ligaments, and any dent in the ball of the joint. These scans help confirm that the Latarjet procedure is the right fit rather than a less involved repair, and they shape how the surgery is carried out. Your surgeon will usually walk you through the images so you can see what is being addressed and why.

Strengthening the Shoulder Beforehand

Conditioning the shoulder before surgery, sometimes called prehabilitation, can make the recovery afterwards more straightforward. Working with a tailored physiotherapy program to build the rotator cuff, deltoid, and muscles around the shoulder blade gives you a stronger starting point, and good preparation before surgery often means steadier progress once rehabilitation begins.

Planning the Practical Details

A few practical steps in the lead-up can lower your risk and smooth the days around surgery:

• Stop smoking as early as you can, since it slows healing and raises the risk of complications.
• Review all medications with your team, especially blood thinners and treatments for diabetes or blood pressure.
• Keep the skin over your shoulder free of scratches, cuts, and sunburn to reduce infection risk.
• Arrange help at home for the first week or two, when one arm will be in a sling.
• Organise time off work that matches the physical demands of your job.
• Follow the fasting instructions the hospital gives you for the day of surgery.

These points are a general guide, and your own surgical team may adjust them to suit your health and circumstances.

What Recovery Looks Like

Recovery runs in stages, each building on the one before. Steady, guided progress protects the transferred bone while it knits into place, and most people move through four phases:

Protecting the Shoulder Early On

The arm rests in a sling, often with a small pillow that holds it in a protective position, usually for around six weeks. Ice and pain relief help settle the first few days, and gentle movement of the hand, wrist, and elbow keeps them from stiffening while the shoulder itself stays quiet. The aim is to let the bone graft heal undisturbed. Everyday tasks take some planning during these weeks, and many people find it more comfortable to sleep propped up on a few pillows and to dress the operated arm first.

A few signs warrant a call to your surgical team. Contact them promptly if you notice any of the following:

• Increasing rather than easing pain after the first few days
• Spreading redness or warmth around the wound
• Fluid, discharge, or an unpleasant smell from the dressing
• Fever or a general feeling of being unwell
• New numbness, pins and needles, or weakness in the arm or hand
• Pain, swelling, or tenderness in the calf

Restoring Range of Motion

From around six weeks, once early healing is underway, a guided range of motion program begins. Gentle, gradual stretches ease the stiffness that builds during immobilisation, and movement is reintroduced in a controlled way rather than pushed. Your physiotherapy team will set the pace based on how the shoulder is responding.

Rebuilding Strength

Strengthening usually starts once the graft has had time to settle, commonly from around 10 to 12 weeks. Loading is added progressively, targeting the rotator cuff and the muscles that support the shoulder blade, so the joint regains not just movement but control. Retraining the shoulder’s sense of position, so it responds without you having to think about it, is as much a part of this stage as raw strength, and it is a big contributor to feeling steady again.

Easing Back Into Activity

Return to activity depends on what you are returning to. Desk-based work is often possible well before heavier manual roles, and a return to sport, especially contact sport, commonly sits around four to six months after surgery. Clearance usually depends on regaining strength and control, and imaging is sometimes used to confirm the graft has healed before contact resumes. These timeframes are a general guide, and your own path may run faster or slower depending on your shoulder and your goals.

Risks and Possible Complications

Like any operation, the Latarjet procedure carries risks, and while most are uncommon or manageable, they deserve an honest look, and sometimes a second opinion, before you decide. The main concerns fall into a few groups:

Nerve and Blood Vessel Injury

Several nerves run close to the front of the shoulder, and they can occasionally be stretched during surgery, with reported rates commonly in the range of 1% to 3%. Most of these are temporary, involving a nerve that has been irritated rather than cut, and function usually returns on its own. Injury to a major blood vessel is rare.

Graft and Hardware Problems

The transferred bone does not always unite fully with the socket, and it can sometimes partly resorb over time. The screws that hold it may occasionally loosen or sit prominently, which can cause discomfort and, in some cases, lead to a later procedure to remove them. Nonunion and screw breakage are reported in fewer than 5% of cases, and a graft that does not fully unite does not always affect the stability of the shoulder.

Stiffness and Reduced Rotation

Some loss of outward rotation can follow this operation, and a small amount of it is intentional, since a slightly tighter front helps hold the joint in place. For most people the loss is modest and rarely interferes with everyday tasks, and consistent rehabilitation helps limit stiffness.

Infection and Wound Issues

Infection is uncommon, often reported at under 1%, and antibiotics are given around the time of surgery to lower the risk further. Keeping an eye on the wound during healing matters, and any spreading redness or discharge is worth reporting early.

Recurrent Instability and Later Arthritis

Another dislocation after a Latarjet procedure is uncommon, and when it happens it usually follows a significant new injury. Over the longer term, some people develop arthritis in the shoulder, although instability itself also contributes to that risk, and a well-healed procedure that stops repeated dislocations may help slow its progression.

Success Rates and Long-Term Outcomes

The Latarjet procedure has a long track record, and published studies generally report strong stability and good function, though the figures vary between studies and depend heavily on the individual. A few measures give a realistic picture:

Recurrence and Redislocation Rates

Pooled research tends to report low redislocation after the Latarjet procedure, often somewhere between 1% and 5%. In shoulders with meaningful bone loss, that compares favourably with keyhole repair alone, which can carry long-term recurrence closer to 10% to 15%. Having had previous surgery on the shoulder is one factor that can raise the chance of instability returning.

Return-to-Sport Figures

Reviews commonly report that around 90% of athletes return to sport, and that more than 89% of people return to work, though the time it takes varies widely, ranging from a couple of months to well over half a year. A minority do not return to their previous level, sometimes because of lingering pain, apprehension, or weakness rather than the shoulder giving way. A graded return, where training loads and contact are reintroduced step by step, gives both the shoulder and your confidence in it time to catch up.

Graft Union and Function

Studies report that the transferred bone heals into place in roughly 92% of cases, and recognised shoulder scores, such as the Rowe score, generally improve markedly after surgery. Most people regain a functional range of movement that supports the activities they care about.

Outcomes Over the Longer Term

Research following patients for 10 years or more reports good or excellent outcomes in around 86%, pointing to durable stability for many. Some residual pain and a degree of arthritis can develop over the decades that follow, which is part of why the decision is weighed carefully rather than rushed.

These figures come from group studies and offer a general guide only. Your own likelihood depends on your shoulder, your health, and how closely rehabilitation is followed.

Moving Forward With a Stable Shoulder

A shoulder you can trust again changes more than your training. It is reaching for a seatbelt, sleeping on your side, or lifting a child without that flicker of doubt. If your shoulder has been quietly deciding what you will and won’t do, the aim of treatment is to hand that choice back to you.

You do not have to weigh it up alone. A conversation with an orthopaedic surgeon who can examine your shoulder in person is the real next step, and your general practitioner (GP) can arrange that referral when you are ready. MTP Health can talk through whether an open Latarjet procedure suits your situation and what your recovery might realistically involve. Whatever you decide, you can approach it clear about the trade-offs and ready to move forward on your terms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long does the Latarjet procedure take?

The operation itself usually takes around two to three hours. It is generally performed under a general anaesthetic, often with a nerve block for pain relief afterwards, and many people stay in hospital overnight before heading home the next day.

2. Is the Latarjet procedure painful?

Some discomfort is expected in the first few days, and it is managed with a combination of pain relief medication, the nerve block given during surgery, and regular icing. For most people the sharper pain settles over the first week or two, easing further as healing continues.

3. When can I drive after the surgery?

Driving is usually not possible while your arm is in the sling and while you are taking stronger pain medication, which often means several weeks. Because safe control of the wheel matters, it is worth confirming timing with your surgeon rather than working to a fixed date.

4. Can shoulder instability be treated without surgery?

For many people, yes, at least as a first step. Activity changes and a structured rehabilitation program guided by a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can settle some unstable shoulders, and teams such as MTP Health often start here. Whether surgery is needed usually comes down to instability that keeps returning or bone loss that makes a lasting result unlikely without it.

5. Will I get full movement back after the operation?

Most people regain a range of movement that comfortably supports daily life and, in time, sport. A small reduction in outward rotation can remain, partly by design to add stability, and guided rehabilitation does much to restore the movement and control that matter for your activities.

6. How soon can I return to contact sport?

A return to contact sport commonly sits around four to six months after surgery. It depends on regaining strength and control rather than the calendar alone, and a CT scan is sometimes used to confirm the graft has healed before you return to collisions.

7. Is the Latarjet procedure covered by Medicare or private health insurance?

A Medicare rebate often applies for eligible patients, and private health insurance may contribute towards hospital and surgical costs depending on your level of cover. Out-of-pocket costs vary, so it is worth asking the clinic and your health fund for a written estimate before you commit.

This article is general information only and does not take your personal circumstances into account. It is not a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For guidance about your own shoulder, please speak with your GP, an orthopaedic surgeon, or another qualified health professional.