Skip to main content

Private Latarjet shoulder stabilisation, by a consultant shoulder surgeon.

A coracoid transfer done by a high-volume upper-limb specialist - with 3D-CT-guided planning, the Bankart-or-Latarjet decision made on evidence, and a named shoulder physiotherapist from day one.

A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private Latarjet costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner shoulder centres.

In short

£8,000–£14,000, home in one to two nights.

Procedure Indicative range
Open Latarjet - self-pay £8,000–£14,000
Arthroscopic Latarjet (specialist centre) £11,000–£16,000
Arthroscopic Bankart repair £6,500–£10,500
Revision Latarjet / bone block (Eden-Hybinette) £12,000–£18,000
MRI arthrogram (shoulder) £850–£1,400
3D CT shoulder with best-fit circle £450–£900
Consultant shoulder review £250–£400

Prices vary by surgeon, by hospital, by fixation choice (screws vs bone-button) and by whether a remplissage or revision bone graft is added. Imaging, physiotherapy and any postoperative CT for graft union are usually billed separately. Latarjet is often funded on the NHS via specialist shoulder units - we tell you honestly when that is the better route.

The problem

The right surgeon, the right operation, on the right shoulder.

The commonest mistake in shoulder instability is a Bankart repair in a shoulder that needed a Latarjet - and vice versa. Getting the decision right depends on 3D CT bone-loss mapping, an ISIS score, and a surgeon who does both operations.

  • Failed Bankart already?

    A revision Latarjet is usually the honest next step - but only after 3D CT confirms the bone deficit and a fresh MRI arthrogram maps the labrum.

  • Never had surgery?

    ISIS score, bone loss and Hill-Sachs mapping decide whether a Bankart alone will hold - or whether jumping straight to a Latarjet is smarter.

  • Elite contact athlete?

    Rugby, judo, MMA - the return-to-sport data at 4–6 months favours a Latarjet in these shoulders. We say so plainly.

When it helps

When a Latarjet is the right operation.

The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means A&E rather than a clinic booking.

  • Recurrent anterior dislocation

    Repeated dislocations or subluxations after a primary event, often out on the pitch or reaching overhead.

  • Significant glenoid bone loss

    More than 13–20% bone loss on 3D CT with a best-fit circle - a Bankart alone is likely to fail here.

  • Engaging Hill-Sachs lesion

    A humeral head defect that catches on the glenoid rim in the position of function - "off-track" on mapping.

  • Failed arthroscopic Bankart

    A repaired labrum that has torn again - revision to a Latarjet is often the honest next step.

  • ISIS score above 4

    Young age, contact or pivot sport, hyperlaxity, bone loss - the Instability Severity Index predicts Bankart failure.

  • Contact and pivot-sport athlete

    Rugby, judo, martial arts, throwing sports - the sling effect of the conjoint tendon matters most here.

  • Hyperlaxity or epilepsy

    Beighton-positive shoulders, and dislocations driven by seizures, are situations where soft-tissue repair alone rarely holds.

  • Red flag: locked dislocation

    A shoulder still dislocated hours after the event, with numbness or a cold hand, is an A&E problem - not a clinic booking.

Procedure options

Latarjet is not the only option.

What each stabilisation option actually involves - and which fits which shoulder.

  • Open Latarjet (standard)

    Deltopectoral approach, coracoid osteotomy, subscapularis split, two-screw fixation. The workhorse - reproducible and well-studied.

  • Arthroscopic Latarjet (Boileau)

    Keyhole coracoid transfer in a high-volume specialist centre. Technically demanding, longer in theatre, outcomes comparable in the right hands.

  • Bone-button Latarjet

    Endobutton fixation rather than screws - avoids screw-related hardware pain and simplifies later revision if ever needed.

  • Arthroscopic Bankart

    Labral repair alone. Right for a first-time dislocator with no meaningful bone loss and a low ISIS - not right for a rugby forward with a chewed glenoid.

  • Remplissage add-on

    A capsulotenodesis that fills a Hill-Sachs defect. Sometimes added to a Bankart, occasionally to a Latarjet when the humeral defect is large.

  • Eden-Hybinette (iliac bone graft)

    A larger bone block from the pelvis for revision Latarjet or catastrophic glenoid loss. Reserved for failed cases.

  • Internal brace stabilisation

    A tape-augmented labral repair. Considered in select first-time dislocators - not a substitute for a Latarjet when bone loss is real.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Latarjet is one of the most reliable stabilisation operations in orthopaedics, but it is a bone-block procedure with a real complication profile. Worth planning around - nerve traction, graft union, hardware pain, and the four-to-six-month rehab arc.

  • Nerve traction is the classic risk

    The musculocutaneous nerve runs into the conjoint tendon that is being moved - a temporary neuropraxia happens; permanent injury is rare and the axillary nerve is rarely touched.

  • Graft non-union and resorption

    The coracoid fails to unite in around 5%, and partial resorption is seen in 5–10% - usually silent and rarely needing revision.

  • Hardware pain

    Screws sit close to the skin at the anterior glenoid; 10–20% of patients ask for hardware removal at 12–18 months.

  • External rotation stiffness

    A loss of 5–10° of external rotation is typical and well tolerated by most - worth knowing if you are an overhead athlete.

  • Long-term osteoarthritis

    Rates of radiographic OA at 15 years sit around 10–15% - higher than a native shoulder, lower than a shoulder that keeps dislocating.

  • Recurrent dislocation

    Under 5% at 10 years in most series - meaningfully better than isolated Bankart in the high-risk athlete.

  • Sling for four weeks

    Passive and active-assisted range from day one, no external rotation past 30° while the graft heals, physio-led progression.

  • Return to sport at four to six months

    Running at eight weeks, non-contact drills at three months, contact and pivot sport once CT confirms the graft has united.

  • Red flags

    A cold, pale or numb hand, uncontrolled pain, fever or a spreading redness after surgery are not normal - call the team or A&E the same day.

Reading your operation note

Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whether the Latarjet was done open or arthroscopically, the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant shoulder surgeon reviewing a patient’s operation notes

A quiet reminder

Surgical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through the note before your six-week review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication and imaging summary

    Why the operation was done - dislocation count, ISIS score, percentage glenoid bone loss on 3D CT, Hill-Sachs on- or off-track.

  2. 02 Technique

    Approach, graft and fixation

    Deltopectoral or arthroscopic, subscapularis split, coracoid length harvested, two-screw or bone-button fixation, any remplissage added.

  3. 03 Findings

    Labrum, capsule and cartilage

    What the surgeon saw - labral quality, capsular laxity, cartilage wear, any Hill-Sachs bump - and what was done about it.

  4. 04 Impression

    Rehab plan and return-to-sport gate

    Read this first: sling window, external-rotation limit, physio milestones, CT for graft union, cleared date for contact sport.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Cover for Latarjet stabilisation is usually funded when medically indicated - recurrent dislocation, failed Bankart, documented bone loss.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about a Latarjet.

Quick, honest answers on Bankart vs Latarjet, return to sport, external rotation, hardware, and long-term risk.

  • Why a Latarjet rather than a Bankart repair?

    A Bankart repair fixes the torn labrum, but if there is significant glenoid bone loss, an engaging Hill-Sachs defect, or a high ISIS score in a young contact athlete, a Bankart alone fails in up to a third of cases. A Latarjet replaces the missing bone and adds a dynamic sling from the conjoint tendon - the two mechanisms together are why it works when soft-tissue repair does not.

  • What is the triple-effect mechanism?

    Three things stabilise the shoulder after a Latarjet: the coracoid graft restores the glenoid arc (bony), the conjoint tendon acts as a dynamic sling across the front of the subscapularis (soft-tissue), and the capsulolabral repair - done at the same time in some techniques - adds a static stabiliser.

  • Open or arthroscopic Latarjet - which is better?

    In experienced hands, outcomes are comparable. Open Latarjet is the workhorse - reproducible, quicker, taught to every UK shoulder fellow. Arthroscopic Latarjet is technically demanding and only worth doing with a surgeon who does the case weekly in a high-volume centre. We will only recommend arthroscopic where that condition is met.

  • How much does a private Latarjet cost in the UK?

    Roughly £8,000–£14,000 for an open Latarjet self-pay, £11,000–£16,000 for arthroscopic Latarjet in a specialist centre, and £12,000–£18,000 for a revision or Eden-Hybinette bone-block procedure. Imaging and physio are separate.

  • When can I return to sport?

    Running at around eight weeks, non-contact gym at three months, and contact or pivot sport - rugby, judo, throwing - at four to six months, once a CT confirms the coracoid graft has united. Rushing this is the commonest cause of graft problems.

  • Will I lose external rotation?

    Most patients lose 5–10° of external rotation at end range. It is well tolerated in day-to-day life and in most sports, but it is worth knowing if you are an elite overhead athlete - javelin throwers and elite tennis servers should have that conversation before booking.

  • What happens to the screws long term?

    They stay in unless they cause pain. Around 10–20% of patients ask for hardware removal at 12–18 months, usually a short day-case procedure. Bone-button fixation avoids this and is used by some surgeons for that reason.

  • What are the long-term risks?

    The main long-term concern is shoulder osteoarthritis - rates at 15 years sit around 10–15%, higher than a never-dislocated shoulder but lower than a shoulder that keeps dislocating. Nerve injury is usually a temporary traction phenomenon. Graft non-union sits at around 5% and partial resorption at 5–10% - most of it silent.

Related treatments

Looking for something else?