The Arthroscopic Bristow Procedure Is Superior to the Arthroscopic Latarjet Procedure in Return to Sports but Inferior in Graft Healing: A Comparative Study With 3.4-Year Follow-Up.

PURPOSE: To compare clinical and computed tomography outcomes between the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure and the arthroscopic Bristow procedure. METHODS: Patients who underwent arthroscopic Latarjet or Bristow procedures with at least 2 years of follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-eight shoulders were included in the Latarjet group, and 34 were included in the Bristow group. Recurrence of dislocation, clinical scores, rate of return to sports (RTS), and computed tomography assessment findings (position of transferred coracoid, graft healing, graft absorption, and glenohumeral degenerative osteoarthritis [OA]) were obtained at final follow-up. RESULTS: No recurrent dislocation occurred in either group, and no significant differences in clinical scores were found between the 2 procedures, with a mean follow-up period of 3.4 years. The operative time in the Bristow group was significantly shorter than that in the Latarjet group (P < .001). The transferred coracoid had healed in 94.7% of the patients in the Latarjet group and 85.3% in the Bristow group at final follow-up (P = .01). No significant difference in graft absorption or the degree of glenohumeral OA was detected between the 2 groups. However, moderate to severe OA only occurred in the Latarjet group at final follow-up (4 of 38 shoulders, 10.5%). The postoperative external rotation angle and level of RTS favored the Latarjet procedure (P = .030 and P = .034, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both the arthroscopic Latarjet and arthroscopic Bristow procedures led to good clinical scores with no new dislocation episodes. The Bristow group showed significantly less graft healing than the Latarjet group. However, the arthroscopic Bristow procedure took less operative time and showed a lower rate of early moderate to severe glenohumeral OA, better range of motion, and a higher rate of RTS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative therapeutic trial.

Previously failed Bankart repair and the duration from first dislocation to surgery were the risk factors associated with the level of return to sports after coracoid transfer.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the rate of different levels of return to sports (RTS) in athletes undergoing the modified arthroscopic Bristow procedure and the factors associated with the level of RTS. METHODS: The study was performed retrospectively on patients with traumatic anterior shoulder instability who underwent the modified arthroscopic Bristow procedure with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. The RTS rate, the level of return and the timing of return were assessed. Additionally, factors such as preoperative basic information, clinical outcomes, graft position, graft healing and graft absorption were analysed to investigate their correlation with the level of RTS. Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate the factors affecting the level of RTS. RESULTS: In total, this study included 182 shoulders of 177 athletes undergoing the modified arthroscopic Bristow procedure. Of these patients, 142 (78.0%) shoulders of 137 athletes were enrolled, with a mean of 3.3-year follow-up. At the final follow-up, 134 (94.4%) shoulders were able to RTS, 123 (86.6%) shoulders were able to RTS to the pre-injury level, 52 (36.6%) shoulders could be completely "forgotten" without any psychological barrier during exercise. The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the variable associated with RTS at the pre-injury level as previously failed arthroscopic Bankart repair (p < 0.001). As for the "forgetting" operated shoulder, the duration from first dislocation to surgery was a significant independent predictor (p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: Although a large majority of athletes were able to RTS at the pre-injury level after the modified arthroscopic Bristow procedure, about two-thirds of the athletes felt difference in shoulders on both sides and could not completely "forget" the operated shoulder during exercise. Previously failed Bankart repair and the duration from first dislocation to surgery were the risk factors associated with the level of RTS after the modified arthroscopic Bristow procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.