Abstract. Objective. To investigate the safety and cost-effectiveness of interscalene brachial plexus block/regional anaesthesia (ISB-RA) in patients undergoing reverse total shoulder replacement. Methods. This retrospective study included 15 patients with symptomatic rotator cuff arthropathy who underwent reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) under ISB-RA without general anaesthesia in the beach chair position from 2010 to 2018. The mean patient age was 77 years (range 59–82 years). Patients had associated medical comorbidities: American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade 2–4. Assessed parameters were: duration of anaesthesia, intra-operative systolic blood pressure variation, sedation and vasopressor use, duration of post-operative recovery, recovery scores, length of stay, and complications. A robust cost analysis was also performed. Results. The mean (range) duration of anaesthesia was 38.66 (20–60) min. Maximum and minimum intra-operative systolic blood pressure ranges were 130–210 and 75–145 mmHg, respectively (mean [range] drop, 74.13 [33–125] mmHg). Mean (range) propofol dose was 1.74 (1–3.0) mg/kg/h. The Median (interquartile range) post-operative recovery time was 30 (20–50) min. The mean (range) postoperative recovery score (local scale, range 5–28 where lower values are superior) was 5.2 (5–8). The mean (range) length of stay was 8 (1–20 days); the two included patients with ASA grade 2 were both discharged within 24 hours. One patient with predisposing history developed pneumonia; however, there were no complications related to ISB-RA. The mean (range) cost per patient was £101.36 (£59.80-£132.20). Conclusions. Our data demonstrate that rTSA under ISB-RA is safe, cost-effective and a potentially viable alternative for patients with multiple comorbidities. Notably, patients with ASA grade 2 who underwent rTSA under ISB-RA had a reduced length of stay and were discharged within 24 hours

Abstract. Background/Objectives. The incidence of reverse total shoulder replacement (rTSR) implantation is increasing globally, but apprehension exists regarding complications and associated challenges. We retrospectively analysed the senior author's series of rTSR from a tertiary centre using the VAIOS shoulder system, a modular 4th generation implant. We hypothesised that the revision rTSR cohort would have less favourable outcomes and more complications. Methods. 114 patients underwent rTSR with the VAIOS system, over 7 years. The primary outcome was implant survival. Secondary outcomes were Oxford shoulder scores (OSS), radiographic analysis (scapular notching, tuberosity osteolysis, and periprosthetic radiolucent lines) and complications. Results. There were 55 Primary rTSR, 31 Revision rTSR and 28 Trauma rTSR. Implant survival: Primary rTSR- 0 revisions, average 3.35-year follow-up. Revision rTSR-1 revision (4.17%), average 3.52-year follow-up. Trauma rTSR- 1 revision (3.57%), average 4.56-year follow-up OSS: Average OSS improved from 15.39 to 33.8 (Primary rTSR) and from 15.11 to 29.1 (Revision rTSR). Average post-operative OSS for the Trauma rTSR was 31.4 Radiological analysis and complications: Low incidence of scapular notching One hairline fracture below the tip of stem, noted incidentally, which required no treatment. One periprosthetic fracture after alcohol related fall. Treated non-surgically One joint infection requiring two-stage revision to rTSR. One dislocation noted at 2 year follow up. This patient had undergone nerve grafting within 6 months of rTSR for axillary nerve injury sustained during the original fracture dislocation. One acromial fracture with tibial and distal humeral fracture after a fall. Conclusions. The 4th generation modular VAIOS implant is a reliable option for various indications. The revision rTSR cohort had favourable outcomes with low complication rates. In this series, early-to-medium term results suggest lower revision rates and good functional outcomes when compared to published reports. We plan to monitor long-term implant survivorship and patient reported outcomes. Declaration of Interest. (a) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) provides a surgical alternative to conventional shoulder arthroplasty in the rotator cuff deficient shoulder. Short term data has shown consistent improvements in pain and function but higher complication and failure rates have also been reported. The aims of this study were to identify the early and late complications of RTSA, to establish the frequency of glenoid notching, and to assess the post-operative functional outcomes. 21 patients (22 joints) treated with RTSA at Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) between April 2006 and October 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Indications for surgery included cuff tear arthropathy, revision hemiarthroplasty and fracture malunion. Complication rates were obtained by analysis of follow up data from Bluespier and case notes. Glenoid notching was graded from x-rays by multiple observers using the Sirveaux classification. Outcome was assessed using the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and range of motion (ROM). The complication rate associated with RTSA was 14.3%, effecting 3 patients. One dislocation and 1 ulnar nerve palsy occurred within 30 days post-op. A late complication was represented by 1 dislocation, which required revision. Glenoid notching occurred in 71.4% (15 of 21patients), though the majority had a low Sirveaux classification (grade 1 or 2). OSS increased post-operatively and showed a linear improvement with time (R. 2. = 0.81) and ROM increased significantly post-op compared with pre-op (p<0.001). The complication rate associated with RTSA at GRI was lower than that reported in literature and the outcome was good as defined by ROM and OSS. The rate of glenoid notching was higher than literature reports but the significance of this is unclear as notching may not be associated with loosening

The purpose of this study is to report the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients undergoing primary or revision reverse total shoulder arthroplasty using custom 3D printed components to manage severe glenoid bone loss with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. After ethical approval (reference: 17/YH/0318), patients were identified and invited to participate in this observational study. Inclusion criteria included: 1) severe glenoid bone loss necessitating the need for custom implants; 2) patients with definitive glenoid and humeral components implanted more than 2 years prior; 3) ability to comply with patient reported outcome questionnaires. After seeking consent, included patients underwent clinical assessment utilising the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), Constant-Murley score, American Shoulder and Elbow Society Score (ASES), and quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Score (quickDASH). Radiographic assessment included AP and axial projections. Patients were invited to attend a CT scan to confirm osseointegration. Statistical analysis utilised included descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and paired t test for parametric data. 3 patients had revision surgery prior to the 2-year follow-up. Of these, 2/3 retained their custom glenoid components. 4 patients declined to participate. 5 patients were deceased at the time of commencement of the study. 21 patients were included in this analysis. The mean follow-up was 36.1 months from surgery (range 22–60.2 months). OSS improved from a mean 16 (SD 9.1) to 36 (SD 11.5) (p < 0.001). Constant-Murley score improved from mean 9 (SD 9.2) to 50 (SD 16.4) (p < 0.001). QuickDASH improved from mean 67 (SD 24) to 26 (SD 27.2) (p = 0.004). ASES improved from mean 28 (SD 24.8) to 70 (SD 23.9) (p = 0.007). Radiographic evaluation demonstrated good osseointegration in all 21 included patients. The utility of custom 3D-printed components for managing severe glenoid bone loss in primary and revision reverse total shoulder arthroplasty yields significant clinical improvements in this complex patient cohort

Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and Reverse Total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) are two of the most performed shoulder operations today. Traditionally postoperative rehabilitation included a period of immobilisation, protecting the joint and allowing time for soft tissue healing. This immobilisation period may significantly impact a patient's quality of life (Qol)and ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL's). This period of immobilisation could be safely avoided, accelerating return to function and improving postoperative QoL. This systematic review examines the safety of early mobilisation compared to immobilisation after shoulder arthroplasty focusing on outcomes at one year. Methods. A systematic review was performed as per the PRISMA guidelines. Results on functional outcome and shoulder range of motion were retrieved. Six studies were eligible for inclusion, resulting in 719 patients, with arthroplasty performed on 762 shoulders, with information on mobilisation protocols on 736 shoulders (96.6%) and 717 patients (99.7%). The patient cohort comprised 250 males (34.9%) and 467 females (65.1%). Of the patients that successfully completed follow-up, 81.5% underwent RSA (n = 600), and 18.4% underwent TSA (n = 136). Overall, 262 (35.6%) patients underwent early postoperative mobilisation, and 474 shoulders were (64.4%) immobilised for a length of time. Immobilised patients were divided into three subgroups based on the period of immobilisation: three, four, or six weeks. There were 201 shoulders (27.3%) immobilised for three weeks, 77 (10.5%) for four weeks and 196 (26.6%) for six weeks. Five of the six manuscripts found no difference between clinical outcomes at one year when comparing early active motion versus immobilisation after RSA or TSA. Early mobilisation is a safe postoperative rehabilitation pathway following both TSA and RSA. This may lead to an accelerated return to function and improved quality of life in the postoperative period

The risk of falls in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures is particularly significant in terms of health and socioeconomic effects. The literature analyzed closely this risk following procedures performed on the lower limb, but the implications following procedures on the upper limb remain to be investigated. Interestingly, it is not clear whether the increased risk of falling in patients undergoing shoulder surgery is due to preexisting risk factors at surgery or postoperative risk factors, such as anesthesiologic effects, opioid medications used for pain control, or brace use. Only one prospective study examined gait and fall risk in patients using a shoulder abduction brace (SAB) after shoulder surgery, revealing that the brace adversely affected gait kinematics with an increase in the risk of falls. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of SAB on gait parameters in patients undergoing shoulder surgery. Patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery (arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, and Latarjet procedure), who used a 15° SAB in the postoperative period, were included. Conversely, patients age > 65 years old, with impaired lower extremity function (e.g., fracture sequelae, dysmorphism, severe osteo-articular pathology), central and peripheral nervous system pathologies, and cardiac/respiratory/vascular insufficiency were excluded. Participants underwent kinematic analysis at four different assessment times: preoperative (T0), 24 hours after surgery (T1), 1 week after surgery (T2), and 1 week after SAB removal (T3). The tests used for kinematic assessment were the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the 10-meter test (10MWT), both of which examine functional mobility. Agility and balance were assessed by a TUG test (transitions from sitting to standing and vice versa, walking phase, turn-around), while gait (test time, cadence, speed, and pelvic symmetry) was evaluated by the 10MWT. Gait and functional mobility parameters during 10MWT and TUG tests were assessed using the BTS G-Walk sensor (G-Sensor 2). One-way ANOVA for repeated measures was conducted to detect the effects of SAB on gait parameters and functional mobility over time. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM®SPSS statistics software version 23.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), with the significant level set at p<0.05. 83% of the participants had surgery on the right upper limb. A main effect of time for the time of execution (duration) (p=0.01, η2=0.148), speed (p<0.01, η2=0.136), cadence (p<0.01, η2=0.129) and propulsion-right (R) (p<0.05, η2=0.105) and left (L) (p<0.01, η2=0.155) in the 10MWT was found. In the 10MWT, the running time at T1 (9.6±1.6s) was found to be significantly longer than at T2 (9.1±1.3s, p<0.05) and at T3 (9.0±1.3s, p=0.02). Cadence at T1 (109.7±10.9steps/min) was significantly lower than at T2 (114.3 ±9.3steps/min, p<0.01) and T3 (114.3±9.3steps/min, p=0.02). Velocity at T1 (1.1±0.31m/s) was significantly lower than at T2 (1.2± 0.21m/s, p<0.05). No difference was found in the pelvis symmetry index. No significant differences were found during the TUG test except for the final rotation phase with T2 value significantly greater than T3 (1.6±0.4s vs 1.4±0.3s, p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between T0 and T2 and between T0 and T3 in any of the parameters analyzed. Propulsion-R was significantly higher at T3 than T1 (p<0.01), whereas propulsion-L was significantly lower at T1 than T0 (p<0.05) and significantly higher at T2 and T3 than T1 (p<0.01). Specifically, the final turning phase was significantly higher at T2 than T3 (p<0.01); no significant differences were found for the duration, sit to stand, mid-turning and stand to sit phases. The results demonstrated that the use of the abduction brace affects functional mobility 24 hours after shoulder surgery but no effects were reported at longer term observations

The function of the upper extremity is highly dependent on correlated motion of the shoulder. The shoulder can be affected by several diseases. The most common are: rotator cuff tear (RCT), shoulder instability, shoulder osteoarthritis and fractures. Rotator cuff disease is a common disorder. It has a high prevalence rate, causing high direct and indirect costs. The appropriate treatment for RCT is debated. The American Academy Orthopaedic Surgeons guidelines state that surgical repair is an option for patients with chronic, symptomatic full-thickness RCT, but the quality of evidence is unconvincing. Thus, the AAOS recommendations are inconclusive. We are performing a randomized controlled trial to compare surgical and conservative treatment of RCT, in term of functional outcomes, rotator cuff integrity, muscle atrophy and fatty degeneration. Shoulder instability occurs when the head of the upper arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket. Shoulder instabilities have been classified according to the etiology, the direction of instability, or on combinations thereof. The Thomas and Matsen classification, which is currently the most commonly utilized classification, divides shoulder instability events into the traumatic, unidirectional, Bankart lesion, and surgery (TUBS) and the atraumatic, multidirectional, bilateral, rehabilitation, and capsular shift (AMBRI) categories. The acquired instability overstress surgery (AIOS) category was then added. Surgical procedures for shoulder instability includes arthroscopic capsuloplasty, remplissage, bone block procedure or Latarjet procedure. Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) represents a good solution for the management of patients with osteoarthritis or fracture of the proximal humerus, with associated severe osteoporosis and RC dysfunction

Introduction and Objective. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is used across surgical specialties to reduce perioperative bleeding. It has been shown to be effective in trauma, spinal surgery, and lower limb arthroplasty. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical effectiveness of TXA in all types of shoulder surgery on bleeding and non-bleeding related outcomes. Materials and Methods. This study was registered prospectively on the PROSPERO database (ref: CRD42020185482). A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating intra-operative use of TXA versus placebo in any type of surgery to the shoulder girdle. Electronic databases searched included MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Library. Risk of bias within studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias v2.0 tool and Jadad score. Certainty of findings were reported using the GRADE approach. The primary outcome was total blood loss. Secondary outcomes included patient reported outcome measures, adverse events, and rate of blood transfusion. Results. Eight RCTs were included in the systematic review and data from 7 of these studies pooled in the meta-analysis. A total of 708 patients were randomized across the studies (406 received TXA, 302 received placebo). Studies included patients undergoing anatomic or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, open Latarjet surgery, and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Pooled analysis demonstrated significant reduction in perioperative bleeding with TXA compared to controls; estimated total blood loss (mean difference [MD], −209.66; 95% CI −389.11 to −30.21; p=0.02), and post-operative blood loss (via drain output) (MD, −84.8ml; 95% CI, −140.04 to −29.56; p=0.003). A mean difference in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of 2.93 was noted in favour of TXA (95% CI 0.2 to 5.66; p=0.04). Conclusions. Whilst noting some risk of bias within the studies, TXA was effective in reducing blood loss and pain in shoulder surgery. There may be a benefit of TXA use in both open and arthroscopic shoulder procedures. Larger, low risk of bias, RCTs for specific surgical shoulder procedures are required

Introduction and Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether CT-based pre-operative planning, integrated with intra-operative navigation could improve glenoid baseplate fixation and positioning by increasing screw length, reducing number of screws required to obtain fixation and increasing the use of augmented baseplate to gain the desired positioning. Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) successfully restores shoulder function in different conditions. Glenoid baseplate fixation and positioning seem to be the most important factors influencing RSA survival. When scapular anatomy is distorted (primitive or secondary), optimal baseplate positioning and secure screw purchase can be challenging. Materials and Methods. Twenty patients who underwent navigated RSA (oct 2018 and feb 2019) were compared retrospectively with twenty patients operated on with a conventional technique. All the procedures were performed by the same surgeon, using the same implant in cases of eccentric osteoarthritis or complete cuff tear. Exclusion criteria were: other diagnosis as proximal humeral fractures, post-traumatic OA previously treated operatively with hardware retention, revision shoulder arthroplasty. Results. The NAV procedure required mean 11 (range 7–16) minutes more to performed than the conventional procedure. Mean screw length was significantly longer in the navigation group (35.5+4.4 mm vs 29.9+3.6 mm; p . .001). Significant higher rate of optimal fixation using 2 screws only (17 vs 3 cases, p . .019) and higher rate of augmented baseplate usage (13 vs 4 cases, p . .009) was also present in the navigation group. Signficant difference there is all in function outcomes, DASH score is 15.7 vs 29.4 and constant scale 78.1 vs 69.8. Conclusions. The glenoid component positioning in RSA is crucial to prevent failure, loosening and biomechanical mismatch, coverage by the baseplate of the glenoid surface, version, inclination and offset are all essential for implant survival. This study showed how useful 3D CT-based planning helps in identifying the best position of the metaglena and the usefulness of receiving directly in the operation theater real-time feedback on the change in position. This study shows promising results, suggesting that improved baseplate and screw positioning and fixation is possible when computer-assisted implantation is used in RSA comparing to a conventional procedure

Arthritis of the glenohumeral joint accompanied by an irreparable tear of the rotator cuff can cause severe pain, disability and loss of function, particularly in the elderly population. Anatomical shoulder arthroplasty requires a functioning rotator cuff, however, reverse shoulder arthroplasty is capable of addressing both rotator cuff disorders and glenohumeral deficiencies. The Aequalis Reversed Shoulder Prosthesis design is based on two bio-mechanical principles by Grammont; a medialized center of rotation located inside the glenoid bone surface and second, a 155 degree angle of inclination. Combined, they increase the deltoid lever arm by distalizing the humerus and make the prosthesis inherently stable. 24 consecutive primary reverse total shoulder arthroplasties were performed by a single surgeon for arthritis with rotator cuff compromise and 1 as a revision for a failed primary total shoulder replacement between December 2009 and October 2012. Patients were assessed postoperatively with the use of the DASH score, Oxford shoulder score, range of shoulder motion and plain radiography with Sirveaux score for scapular notching. Mean age at the time of surgery was 72.5 years (range 59 to 86). Average follow up time was 19.4 months (range 4 to 38). Functional outcome scores from our series were comparable with patients from other follow up studies of similar prosthesis design. All patients showed improvement in range of shoulder movement postoperatively. Complications included one dislocation, one acromion fracture and one humeral shaft fracture. No cases of deep infection were recorded. Overall, the short-term clinical results were promising for this series of patients and indicate reverse shoulder arthroplasty as an appropriate treatment for this group of patients