Latarjet in lateral decubitus vs. beach-chair: effect on screw inclination and coracoid graft positioning-A single-surgeon comparative series.

Background: The Latarjet procedure has traditionally been performed in the beach-chair position. Optimizing graft position is one of the key factors to reduce failure, prevent redislocation, and minimize the risk of future arthritis. Methods: Seventeen consecutive Latarjet procedures were reviewed (8 beach-chair; 9 lazy lateral decubitus) performed between January 2020 and July 2025. All procedures were carried out with 2 partially threaded screws through the plate (Arthrex) and labrocapsular repair to position the bone block extra-articularly. In the lateral position, the procedure was performed with a modified surgical sequence, with coracoid harvesting undertaken first, followed by glenoid preparation. All patients underwent computed tomography scanning at 4 months to measure screw inclination angle, vertical and medial-lateral position of the graft, as well as early resorption and bony union. Results: All patients were male. The average age of the beach-chair and lateral groups was 27.4 and 32 years, respectively. The mean screw-to-glenoid face angle was 40.5° in the beach-chair group compared to 28.0° in the lateral group ( Conclusion: The Latarjet procedure performed in the lateral decubitus position and changing surgical flow were associated with improvement of screw angle and medial/lateral graft positioning compared with the beach-chair position.