Recurrent anterior shoulder instability is a common clinical entity often requiring surgical stabilization. Recurrence rates following soft-tissue stabilization procedures are moderately high and have been attributed to associated bony defects of either the glenoid or humeral head. Complex shoulder instability, defined as instability associated with bony defects around the shoulder, is a challenging clinical problem. The Latarjet coracoid transfer has been proposed as a treatment option and its resultant stabilizing effects have been explored in this biomechanical cadaver-based study.

For both glenoid and humeral head defects, the Latarjet coracoid transfer adequately stabilized the shoulder, outperforming other procedures often utilized for these scenarios. It did, however, result in increased superior translation of the shoulder compared to other procedures, the clinical significance of which is presently unknown.

The Latarjet coracoid transfer is a useful procedure for complex shoulder instability. Further study should assess for any deleterious clinical effects resulting from this procedure.