Abstract
Introduction
Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) can partially restore lost range of motion (ROM). Active motion restoration is largely a function of RTSA joint constraint, limiting impingement, and muscle recruitment; however, it may also be a function of implant design. The aim of this computational study was to examine the effects of implant design parameters, such as neck-shaft (N-S) angle and glenoid lateralization, on impingement-free global circumduction range of motion (GC-ROM). GC-ROM summarizes the characteristically complex, wide-ranging envelope of glenohumeral motion into a single quantity for ease of comparison.
Methods
Nine computational models were used to investigate implant parameters. The parameters examined were N-S angles of 135°, 145°, and 155° in combination with glenoid lateralizations (0, 5, and 10 mm). Static positioning of the humerus was defined by an elevation direction angle, elevation angle, and rotation. The humerus was rotated from the neutral position (0° of rotation and elevation), and then elevated in different elevation directions until impingement was detected. Abduction occurred at an elevation direction angle of 0°, while flexion and extension occurred at elevation direction angles of 90° and −90°, respectively. Elevation direction angles ranged from −180° to 180°. Elevation ranged from 0° and 180°. Rotations ranged from −45° to 90°, where negative and positive rotations represented external and internal rotation, respectively. For each rotation angle, a plot of maximum elevation in each elevation plane was created using polar coordinates (radius = elevation, angle = elevation direction). The area enclosed by the resulting points, normalized with respect to the implant with a 145° N-S angle and 5 mm lateralization, was calculated. The sum of these areas defined the GC-ROM.
Results
Figure 1 depicts the maximum ROM curves at each angle of rotation for a 145° N-S angle humeral implant with 5 mm of glenoid lateralization. Table 1 shows the normalized areas within the maximum ROM curves for each implant configuration at each angle of rotation, where 0% indicates that the corresponding angle of rotation could not be achieved without impingement. The effect of varying N-S angle (constant lateralization of 5 mm) and lateralization (constant N-S angle of 145°) is shown for 0° rotation (Figures 2A and 2B, respectively).
Conclusions
In general, increasing glenoid lateralization increases GC-ROM; however, the unintuitive poor performance of all 10 mm lateralized configurations at rotations of −90° highlights the complex relationships between implant parameters and ROM. Interestingly, the 135° N-S implant had greater flexion and extension ROM, while the 155° N-S implant had greater abduction ROM, suggesting that there are trade-offs between N-S angles pertaining to the elevation direction in which maximum elevation is obtained. The results of this study highlight the need to incorporate multi-directional motion when assessing the effect of varying implant parameters on the impingement-free GC-ROM. Future studies will include the application of the presented technique to a broader range of implant and surgical parameters.
