Abstract
Objective To evaluate the functional results of patients submitted to reverse shoulder arthroplasty
for the treatment of rotator cuff arthropathy refractory to conservative treatment.
Methods A retrospective study of 20 patients (21 shoulders), 17 women (81%) and 3 men (19%),
underwent a reverse shoulder arthroplasty between October 2012 and September 2017,
for a rotator cuff arthropathy treatment, operated by a single surgeon in a single
center. The patients were assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and
Hand (DASH) score, the Short-Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36), the visual analogue
scale (VAS) of pain rating, and the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
score. The mean age at surgery was of 66 years old (range: 55 to 83 years old). The
duration of symptoms before surgery was of ∼ 2.5 years (range: 12 months to 6 years).
The mean follow-up was of 42.4 months (range: 19 to 56.7 months).
Results The mean postoperative scores were 18.2 points in DASH; 2 points in EVA, of which
16 (77%) corresponded to mild pain, 4 (18%) to moderate pain, and 1 (5%) to severe
pain; 29 points in UCLA, of which 6 patients presented a regular result (28%), 10
patients a good result (48%), and 5 patients an excellent result (24%); and 63 points
in the SF-36. The complications were four cases of notching, one case of acromial
fracture due to stress, and one case of postoperative infection.
Conclusions Reverse arthroplasty of the shoulder presents good functional results in the evaluated
scores, providing a significant improvement in the quality of life of the patients.
Keywords
arthroplasty, replacement, shoulder - rotator cuff arthropathy - shoulder arthrosis
- rotator cuff tear - shoulder/surgery
