Aug 24–30, 2026 · 16 new studies, 10 reviews · Shoulder & Elbow archive · All weeks
The new Shoulder & Elbow research The Reduction sent the week of Aug 24–30, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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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 healthy volunteers, second-digit flexor recruitment and neutral wrist position were essential for optimal grip-induced dynamic stabilization of the medial elbow, informing UCL injury prevention strategies.
Finite element modeling shows labral augmentation better restores native humeral head stability and normal capsule/cartilage stress than Bankart repair with or without remplissage in shoulders with subcritical glenoid bone loss.
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.
A retrospective case series shows the arthroscopic 'mooring' technique achieves excellent 2-year functional outcomes and near-universal bone union for large anterior glenoid rim fractures.
CT analysis of 100 shoulders shows men have larger humeral head, canal diameter, and global offset than women, but offset correlates weakly with head/canal size, so it must be measured independently when planning stemmed arthroplasty.
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.
In a national trauma registry, reverse shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fracture showed no significant difference in adjusted in-hospital outcomes versus hemiarthroplasty, except higher non-home discharge risk in patients under 65.
Clindamycin-resistant C. acnes isolates produced less acid than susceptible strains, but acid production alone showed only modest diagnostic value for shoulder periprosthetic infection.
In elderly patients with complex proximal humerus fractures, cement-augmented locking plate fixation gave better rotation than reverse shoulder arthroplasty, with similar overall function, complications, and revision rates.
Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α in Regulating Muscle Degeneration After Rotator Cuff Tears.
In a mouse rotator cuff tear model, loss of HIF-1α in fibroadipogenic progenitor cells increased fibrosis and worsened muscle degeneration, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target.
In hyperlax elite swimmers with breathing-side shoulder pain, an 8-week periscapular and rotator cuff rebalancing program produced durable strength gains and an 87.8% reduction in pain at 2-year follow-up.
In 164 reverse shoulder arthroplasty patients, onlay and semi-inlay humeral stems achieved similar clinical outcomes but via different combinations of glenoid/humeral lateralization and distalization, suggesting overall biomechanical balance matters more than stem design choice.
Dual-fluoroscopy study finds Bankart repair augmented with dynamic anterior stabilization restores glenohumeral kinematics closer to normal than isolated Bankart repair in shoulder instability with minimal bone loss.
Rotator Cuff Repair Augmentation.
This review outlines current graft options (allograft, xenograft, synthetic) and placement techniques used to augment rotator cuff repairs and reduce retear risk.
This commentary proposes a 'form follows function' framework linking labral anatomy to glenohumeral mechanics to better explain and treat labral injuries in overhead throwing athletes.
Tuberosity Management in Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for Proximal Humerus Fractures.
This review discusses indications, implant choices, and techniques for tuberosity management during reverse shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fractures to optimize functional outcomes.
This review outlines methods to assess anatomic humeral head reconstruction (e.g., the 'perfect circle' technique), notes stemless/short-stem implants haven't shown superior reconstruction over standard stems, and flags that center-of-rotation deviations >3-4mm worsen outcomes.
This review compiles evidence-based perioperative strategies—anemia/smoking optimization, timing after steroid injections, skin prep, prophylactic antibiotics, and intraoperative antiseptic measures—to reduce infection risk in primary shoulder arthroplasty.
Metabolic Functions of the Subacromial Bursa: Implications for Shoulder Health and Pathology.
This narrative review highlights the subacromial bursa's active metabolic and immune signaling roles, suggesting new therapeutic targets for impingement, bursitis, cuff tears, and shoulder OA.
Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Principles of Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
This review outlines key principles for preventing, diagnosing, and treating shoulder periprosthetic joint infection, emphasizing its distinct low-virulence organism profile (notably C. acnes) and chronicity-based treatment algorithms.
The Role of External Fixation in the Management of Upper Extremity Fractures.
Review article outlines indications, techniques, outcomes, and complications of external fixation for upper extremity fractures from the shoulder to the wrist, emphasizing unique soft-tissue and neurovascular risks.
Management of Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Total Elbow Arthroplasty.
Review of TEA periprosthetic infection management finds two-stage revision offers lower recurrence than debridement alone, though evidence for an optimal algorithm remains limited.
Cutibacterium acnes: a threat to shoulder surgery or an orthopedic red herring?
This review argues that positive C. acnes cultures after shoulder revision are often commensal, bystander, or contaminant findings rather than true infection, urging better diagnostic criteria beyond culture alone.
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