Inherent disadvantages of reverse shoulder arthroplasty
designs based on the Grammont concept have raised a renewed interest
in less-medialised designs and techniques. The aim of this study
was to evaluate the outcome of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA)
with the fully-constrained, less-medialised, Bayley–Walker prosthesis performed
for the treatment of rotator-cuff-deficient shoulders with glenohumeral
arthritis. A total of 97 arthroplasties in 92 patients (53 women
and 44 men, mean age 67 years (standard deviation ( The Bayley–Walker prosthesis provides reliable pain relief and
reasonable functional improvement for patients with symptomatic
cuff-deficient shoulders. Compared with other designs of RSA, it
offers a modest improvement in forward elevation, but restores external
rotation to some extent and prevents scapular notching. A longer
follow-up is required to assess the survival of the prosthesis and
the clinical performance over time. Cite this article:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were long-term differences in outcomes of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) undertaken for acute proximal humeral fracture versus rotator cuff deficiency with a minimum follow-up of five years. This was a prospective cohort study comparing 67 patients with acute complex proximal humeral fracture and 64 patients with irreparable rotator cuff deficiency who underwent primary RSA. In the fracture group, there were 52 (77.6%) females and 15 (22.4%) males, with a mean age of 73.5 years (51 to 85), while in the arthropathy group, there were 43 (67.1%) females and 21 (32.9%) males, with a mean age of 70.6 years (50 to 84). Patients were assessed by the Constant score, University of California Los Angeles shoulder score (UCLA), short version of the Disability of the Arm Shoulder and Hand score (QuickDASH), and visual analogue scales (VAS) for pain and satisfaction. Radiological evaluation was also performed.Aims
Methods
Failed internal fixation of a fracture of the
proximal humerus produces many challenges with limited surgical options.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes after
the use of a reverse shoulder arthroplasty under these circumstances.
Between 2007 and 2012, 19 patients (15 women and four men, mean
age 66 years; 52 to 82) with failed internal fixation after a proximal
humeral fracture, underwent implant removal and reverse shoulder arthroplasty
(RSA). The mean follow-up was 36 months (25 to 60). The mean American
Shoulder and Elbow Score improved from 27.8 to 50.1 (p = 0.019).
The mean Simple Shoulder Test score improved from 0.7 to 3.2 (p
= 0.020), and the mean visual analogue scale for pain improved from
6.8 to 4.3 (p = 0.012). Mean forward flexion improved from 58.7°
to 101.1° (p <
0.001), mean abduction from 58.7° to 89.1° (p
= 0.012), mean external rotation from 10.7° to 23.1° (p = 0.043)
and mean internal rotation from buttocks to L4 (p = 0.034). A major
complication was recorded in five patients (26%) (one intra-operative
fracture, loosening of the humeral component in two and two peri-prosthetic
fractures). A total of 15 patients (79%) rated their outcome as
excellent or good, one (5%) as satisfactory, and three (16%) as
unsatisfactory. An improvement in outcomes and pain can be expected when performing
a RSA as a salvage procedure after failed internal fixation of a
fracture of the proximal humerus. Patients should be cautioned about
the possibility for major complications following this technically
demanding procedure. Cite this article:
