Between January 1, 1976 and December 31, 1991, 195 total shoulder arthroplasties and 108 hemiarthroplasties were performed by the senior author in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. One hundred eighty-seven total shoulder arthroplasties and 95 hemiarthroplasties with complete preoperative evaluation, operative records, and minimum 2-year follow-up (mean 11.6 years) or follow-up until revision were included in the clinical analysis. Twenty patients died and one was lost to follow-up. All 303 shoulders were included in the survival analysis.

There was significant long term pain relief (P< .0001), improvement in active abduction (P< .0001), and external rotation (P< .0001) with both, hemiarthroplasty and total shoulder arthroplasty. There was not a significant difference in improvement in pain and motion comparing hemiarthroplasty and total shoulder arthroplasty for patients with a thin or torn rotator cuff. However, among patients with an intact rotator cuff, improvement in pain and abduction were significantly greater with total shoulder arthroplasty. Additionally, among patients with an intact rotator cuff, the risk for revision was significantly lower for total shoulder arthroplasty (p=0.04).

Radiographs were available for 152 total shoulder arthroplasties and 63 hemiarthroplasties with a minimum 2 year follow-up. Glenoid erosion was present in 62 of 63 hemiarthroplasties (98%). Glenoid periprosthetic lucency was present in 110 of 152 total shoulder arthroplasties (72%).

The data from this study indicate there is marked long term pain relief and improvement in motion with shoulder arthroplasty. Among patients with an intact rotator cuff, total shoulder arthroplasty appears to be the preferred procedure for pain relief, improvement in abduction, and lower risk of revision surgery.