Background:

In treatment of anterior shoulder instability, many surgical techniques have been described, all of them with advantages and disadvantages. Our goal is to study the half term results on patients that underwent open Bristow-Latarjet surgery considering the preoperative ISIS value.

Material and methods:

This is a retrospective study of 33 patients which underwent open Bristow-Latarjet surgery in our center between 2005 and 2012. Average age of 33.2 years and follow up of 75 months. Results were taken by Rowe and Constant scores, DASH questionnaire and we also recorded a subjective assessment of the result by each patient.

Results:

No recurrence was reported. No reoperations. Mean Rowe score was 74.6 points and mean Constant score was 70 points. In the disability questionnaire (DASH), the mean value was 22.9 points. The outcome assessment by the patients was positive in 78.8%. The migration of a screw occurred in one patient but he still asymptomatic. No other complication was identified.

Conclusions:

The Bristow-Latarjet technique is a reliable technique, with few complications and with an excellent rate of recurrence in treatment of chronic shoulder instability as reported in literature; it should be used as primary surgery in some cases and the preoperative ISIS score is an excellent and simple guide to select correctly the surgical technique for each patient.