96 papers, newest 30 shown · updated 2026-09-26 · Shoulder & Elbow · All topics
The newest papers on shoulder arthroplasty from the orthopaedic journals The Reduction reads, newest first, each with a one-line summary. The list is drawn from the digest’s archive and refreshed every week.
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Pyrocarbon interposition shoulder arthroplasty maintains 87% 10-year survival in post-traumatic and post-instability osteoarthritis; biconcave glenoid increases failure risk.
At 7-year follow-up, reverse shoulder arthroplasty provided better functional outcomes than nonoperative treatment for displaced 3- or 4-part proximal humerus fractures in patients over 80.
In patients under 55 with glenohumeral osteoarthritis, reverse and stemless anatomic TSA had the lowest revision rates, outperforming stemmed TSA, hemiarthroplasty, and resurfacing.
Finite-element modeling showed age-related bone density loss increased stemless shoulder implant micromotion, but some designs (Global Icon, Inhance) performed well, suggesting age alone isn't a contraindication.
Among patients perceiving their shoulder as normal, anatomic TSA outperformed reverse TSA in motion and high-demand function, with 40% of aTSA patients achieving near-normal status.
In a large claims database study, preoperative sepsis within two years of total shoulder arthroplasty—especially within 3 months and from gram-positive/Staphylococcal organisms—significantly raised risks of postoperative infection and other complications, informing preoperative risk counseling.
Reverse shoulder arthroplasty improves functional hand-behind-back task performance by 6 months mainly through increased trunk/lumbar compensation and altered muscle activation, despite persistent internal rotation deficits.
In 64 patients with rTSA for proximal humerus fractures, pain relief and function were largely achieved by one year, with only modest further gains by two years, supporting one-year outcomes as sufficient for most patients.
Cohort study found Exactech Equinoxe anatomic TSA implants had nearly double the revision risk versus other devices, even among non-recalled bags, though no difference was seen for reverse TSA.
In 80 reverse shoulder arthroplasty patients, complete release of the long head of triceps preserved triceps strength at 2 years while significantly improving range of motion and patient-reported outcomes, with no dislocations or nerve injuries.
This systematic review of 39 studies found ASES was the most-used shoulder arthroplasty outcome measure, but MCID, SCB, and PASS thresholds vary widely and lack standardization.
In anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, having two or more patient-reported allergies (especially non-antibiotic/pain medication allergies) independently predicted worse outcomes, though a single allergy did not.
Adding latissimus dorsi transfer to lateralized reverse shoulder arthroplasty did not improve external rotation or functional scores over rTSA alone but caused significantly more early proximal humeral bone erosion.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Arthroscopic Pre-Revision Tissue Biopsy in Shoulder Arthroplasty.
Arthroscopic pre-revision tissue biopsy showed poor sensitivity and negative predictive value for periprosthetic shoulder infection, so a negative result should not rule out infection or delay revision.
In a propensity-matched cohort study, perioperative proton pump inhibitor use before primary total shoulder arthroplasty was associated with higher rates of aseptic loosening, dislocation, revision, and overall complications at 3 years.
Coracoid-based pain occurs in 1% of RTSA patients, resolves nonoperatively in about half, and is linked to osteoporosis and glenosphere/humeral positioning factors surgeons can modify.
In a UK cohort of 476,620 arthroplasties, VTE rates fell over time for hip and knee (but not clearly due to NICE guidelines), while a 2018 guideline update was linked to a 9% VTE reduction after shoulder arthroplasty.
Custom 3D-printed glenoid implants in reverse shoulder arthroplasty optimize bone-implant stability through central peg fixation, porous surfaces, and computed tomography-based planning for severe glenoid bone loss.
In this retrospective comparison after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, pectoralis major tendon transfer yielded better internal rotation function and strength than subscapularis repair and was independently associated with higher return-to-work rates, without proving overall superiority.
Data-driven preoperative hemoglobin thresholds show that progressively lower hemoglobin levels stepwise increase risk of transfusion, infection, and periprosthetic joint infection after total shoulder arthroplasty.
In 798 shoulder arthroplasty patients, octogenarians had longer hospital stays and more often needed skilled nursing facility discharge than septuagenarians, but had similar 90-day ED visit and readmission rates.
In rTSA for patients with preoperative ER lag, functional external rotation recovery depends on preoperative active ER magnitude and lag severity rather than implant lateralization/distalization geometry, with thresholds (ER1>25°, ER2>40°, ER2 lag<25°) predicting success.
In this large registry study, highly cross-linked polyethylene reduced revision risk—including infection-related revisions—compared to non-cross-linked components in reverse shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis and cuff arthropathy.
Public Perceptions of Robotic-Assisted Shoulder Arthroplasty in the United States.
A survey of 615 US adults found generally favorable but overestimated public perceptions of robotic-assisted shoulder arthroplasty, with most still preferring an experienced non-robotic surgeon over a less experienced robotic one.
In 23 patients followed 5 years with RSA, stemless Simpliciti humeral components remained stable overall, though 3 showed continued migration without affecting clinical outcomes or implant survival.
A new three-tier HBB classification for assessing hand-behind-back function after reverse shoulder arthroplasty showed near-perfect interobserver reliability, far outperforming the traditional vertebral-level method, and correlated with functional outcomes.
In a single-surgeon rTSA series, inferiorized and lateralized glenospheres showed similar reoperation rates, PRO improvements, and mortality, suggesting glenosphere design choice may not significantly affect short-term outcomes.
Reverse shoulder arthroplasty for chronic locked anterior dislocation yielded motion and complication rates similar to proximal humerus fracture rTSA, but worse PROMIS upper extremity function and more pain interference, plus higher heterotopic ossification risk.
A propensity-matched TriNetX analysis found patients with social determinants of health disparities had nearly half the total shoulder arthroplasty utilization and more medical complications, pointing to access barriers rather than surgical differences.
Os acromiale does not affect clinical outcomes or complications after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty compared to matched controls.
In 45 patients, the Grammont reverse shoulder prosthesis improved elevation and Constant scores in cuff tear arthritis, fracture sequelae, and revision cases, but revisions had higher complication and reoperation rates, and teres minor integrity predicted better rotation and function.
Increasing Incidence of Shoulder Arthroplasty in the United States
US total shoulder arthroplasty volumes surpassed hemiarthroplasty by 2006 and grew sharply after 2004, likely reflecting FDA approval of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
In 240 reverse total shoulder arthroplasties, outcomes were good overall but significantly better for cuff tear arthropathy/osteoarthritis than for post-traumatic arthritis or revision cases, which had higher complication rates.
Complications of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
This 2006 review discusses complications of total shoulder arthroplasty, noting that outcomes and complication rates are influenced by surgeon and hospital volume.
Stress shielding and bone resorption in shoulder arthroplasty
In 64 shoulder arthroplasty patients, proximal humeral stress shielding occurred in 9%, associated with larger relative stem size and more common in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
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