CINCINNATI SURGEON AMONG FIRST TO OFFER ADVANCED ARTHROSCOPIC TECHNIQUE FOR REPEAT SHOULDER DISLOCATIONS
Young Male Athletes Particularly Prone to Condition
CONTACT: Keith Taylor (212-527-7537)
CINCINNATI – May 1, 2012 - An advanced arthroscopic procedure to treat repeated shoulder dislocation and instability caused by bone loss is helping area athletes, particularly young males, get back to their active lives and avoid multiple surgeries.
More than 70 percent of shoulder dislocations occur in men and nearly half occur in people between 15- and 29-years-old, usually the result of an injury sustained during sports or recreational activities.[1] For many, surgery is often necessary to repair or tighten the torn or stretched ligaments that hold the shoulder in place to prevent dislocation or instability.
Arthroscopic surgery has become the procedure of choice in treating the condition, but in patients who have experienced significant bone loss from repeated dislocations, conventional arthroscopic surgery may not be effective. These patients are turning to an advanced arthroscopic procedure called the Bristow-Latarjet, named for the South African and French surgeons who pioneered the open technique in the 1950s.
That was the case for 17-year-old Steven Weimer from Kettering, a suburb of Dayton, who has had three surgeries in three years after injuring his shoulder in a biking accident in 2009.
“The first two surgeries didn’t really help the pain and my shoulder continued to pop out of place. I think it dislocated about 25 times after the first surgery and then several more times after the second one,” said Steven, an active high school senior who plays on the tennis team and has competed in motorcycle trials throughout Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky since he was 9-years-old. “I was in a lot of pain. It really affected my tennis and stopped me from competing in several events.”
Still in pain and still suffering dislocations, Steven and his family sought another solution that led them to Paul Favorito, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Wellington Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine in Cincinnati. He is one of a few surgeons in the country performing the arthroscopic Bristow-Latarjet, a technique he learned training alongside the French surgeon Dr. Laurent Lafosse, who pioneered the technique in 2003 and has designed surgical instrumentation and implants for the procedure.
“A CT scan revealed significant bone loss in Steven’s shoulder so a traditional arthroscopic soft tissue procedure would not restore stability to his shoulder,” said Dr. Favorito.* ”The arthroscopic Bristow-Latarjet procedure, however, is specifically designed to fill in the missing bone and re-tension the muscles to hold the shoulder joint in place and prevent further dislocation.”
Steven and his parents were at first wary of having yet another surgery. However, when Dr. Favorito explained the procedure and how it would help in ways that his previous surgeries did not, they decided to move forward.
In the arthroscopic Bristow-Latarjet procedure, surgeons transfer bone and the attached tendon from one part of the shoulder through muscle to the shoulder socket where bone loss has occurred. Once transferred, surgeons secure the bone with special screws that hold the shoulder in place to prevent dislocation. Using the minimally invasive arthroscopic technique, surgeons are able to view the inside of the shoulder with the use of a tiny camera and make repairs with pencil-thin instruments that are passed through small incisions. Arthroscopic patients may experience less pain and have earlier mobility than patients who have traditional open surgery, which requires longer incisions to access the shoulder.[2]
In May 2011, Steven had the procedure. He left the hospital the same day and was in physical therapy for about three months where he gradually regained his strength and mobility. Almost a year after surgery, Steven says he’s no longer in pain, can move his shoulder freely and no longer suffers from dislocations. Perhaps, more importantly for him, he’s back on his motorcycle competing in various obstacle course events throughout the country.
“In patients with 20 percent bone loss or more, the Bristow-Latarjet procedure may be the way to go to reduce the chance of future dislocations. I encourage patients to talk to their doctor about this procedure and other ways to prevent dislocations to determine which procedure is right for them,” said Dr. Favorito.
According to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, more than 1.4 million shoulder arthroscopies are performed worldwide each year.
Potential risks are associated with any surgical procedure, including Bristow-Latarjet, and may include infection or damage to nerves and blood vessels surrounding the shoulder.[3] Patients should discuss all such risks with their surgeon.
Patient Education Program
This patient education effort is sponsored by DePuy Mitek, a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative orthopedic sports medicine products including the Bristow-Latarjet Instability Shoulder System™, the instrument set designed by Dr. Lafosse that helps surgeons perform the procedure with an open or arthroscopic technique.
About DePuy Mitek
DePuy Mitek offers minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgical solutions that address the challenges of soft tissue repair in the shoulder, knee and other joints, as well as non-surgical therapies such as ORTHOVISC® High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan. It is part of the DePuy Family of Companies, which has a rich heritage of pioneering a broad range of products and solutions across the continuum of orthopaedic and neurological care. These companies are unified under one vision – Never Stop Moving™ – to express their commitment to bring meaningful innovation, shared knowledge, and quality care to patients throughout the world. Visit www.depuy.com for more information.
*Dr. Favorito is a paid consultant to DePuy Mitek