Aims. Depression can significantly affect quality of life and is associated
with higher rates of medical comorbidities and increased mortality
following surgery. Although depression has been linked to poorer
outcomes following orthopaedic trauma, total joint arthroplasty
and spinal surgery, we wished to examine the impact of depression
in elective total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) as this has not been
previously explored. . Patients and Methods. The United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used
to identify patients undergoing elective TSA over a ten-year period.
Between 2002 and 2012, 224 060 patients underwent elective TSA. Results. Among the identified patients who had undergone TSA, 12.4% had
a diagnosis of a history of depression. A diagnosis of depression
was twice as common in women compared with men (16.0% vs 8.0%,
p <
0.001), and more frequent in those with low income and Medicaid
insurance (p <
0.001). A diagnosis of depression was an independent
risk factor for post-operative