Latarjet surgery rehab in Carmel, Indiana

How is a Latarjet different from a labral repair?

A Latarjet adds bone, while a labral (Bankart) repair reattaches soft tissue. In the Latarjet, the surgeon transfers the tip of the coracoid, a hook of bone at the front of the shoulder blade, with its attached tendons onto the front edge of the socket, creating a bony block and a muscle sling that resist the ball slipping forward.

A 2015 review in The Physician and Sportsmedicine notes it is often chosen when a significant amount of the socket has been worn away by repeated dislocations, commonly described as more than a quarter of the socket’s width. It is also used after a failed soft-tissue repair or for athletes at high risk of another dislocation. If your surgeon repaired only the labrum, the shoulder labral repair guide is the one to read.

Because a piece of bone is fixed with screws, rehab respects bone healing as well as soft-tissue healing. That is the main reason early motion is guided carefully even though the shoulder may feel stable right away.

For many people the shoulder feels secure for the first time in years soon after a Latarjet, and the main risk becomes doing too much too soon rather than another dislocation. Lifting heavy objects, pushing up from the arm and sudden reaching are the usual temptations in the first two months.

What are the phases of rehab after a Latarjet procedure?

Most protocols move from protection to motion, then strength, then sport-specific power, with progress tied to criteria rather than dates alone. A 2021 rehabilitation commentary in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy argues for exactly that: clear goals for each phase before moving on. The weeks below are typical; your surgeon’s protocol comes first.

Why is turning the arm outward limited early after a Latarjet?

Outward rotation is usually limited early because it stretches the tissues at the front of the shoulder that the surgeon worked through to reach the socket, including the subscapularis tendon, and it loads the newly fixed bone block. Your protocol gives the safe angle for each week.

Therapists restore outward rotation gradually with assisted exercises, often using a stick or the other arm, then move to strengthening with light bands. The banded external rotation exercise is a typical later-stage strength drill, though your therapist decides when it fits. Inward rotation strength, the subscapularis’s main job, is also tested before you return to pressing or throwing.

Prehab is usually possible because a Latarjet is planned. A visit or two beforehand can set baseline strength in the other shoulder for later comparison, teach the sling and one-handed dressing, and start the shoulder-blade exercises you will continue in the first weeks.

What should daily life look like in the sling weeks after Latarjet surgery?

Expect to wear the sling most of the time for the first few weeks, removing it for hygiene, elbow, wrist and hand exercises, and pendulums if your surgeon allows them. Sleeping semi-upright in a recliner or propped on pillows is common in the first nights.

Desk work one-handed is often possible within a week or two; driving waits until the sling is off and you can steer with both hands, as your surgeon advises. Lifting, pushing up from a chair with the operated arm, and reaching behind you are usually off limits early.

Weightlifters often ask about lower-body training during the sling weeks. Many surgeons allow leg work that does not load the arm, such as a leg press or a bike, while barbell squats and anything held in the hands wait; your therapist checks each choice against the protocol.

• Button-front shirts and a pre-cut meal plan make the first fortnight easier
• Keep the elbow, wrist and fingers moving several times a day
• Ice the shoulder after exercise if your surgeon recommends it
• Avoid leaning on the arm to get out of bed

How do athletes rebuild for contact and overhead sport after a Latarjet?

Return to sport is usually built in steps: full motion, then strength close to the other side, then power, then controlled contact or throwing, with testing at each step. The rack, cable system and dumbbells in a private suite make it straightforward to progress pressing, pulling and rotational power under supervision.

Hockey, football, basketball and wrestling players face the most contact, while volleyball, swimming and baseball players need the shoulder to tolerate fast overhead movements. Telling your therapist exactly what your sport asks of the shoulder lets the later drills match it. The shoulder instability page covers the injury pattern behind most Latarjet operations, and the return to sport testing service explains the measurements used near the end.

Who sets the Latarjet limits, and how do I start rehab in Carmel?

Your surgeon sets sling duration, rotation limits, lifting restrictions and the earliest date for contact; healing of the bone block on imaging may factor into those decisions. Your therapist chooses and progresses exercises inside those limits and reports progress back.

To be matched, complete the shoulder rehab questionnaire, naming the operation, the date, your surgeon and your sport. The matching team proposes an independent therapist in the network and the therapist’s office confirms benefits before booking.