Latissimus dorsi muscle transfer reduces external rotation deficit at the cost of internal rotation in reverse shoulder arthroplasty patients: a cohort study.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that treatment of rotator cuff arthropathy (RCA) with reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) and an additional latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) in patients with an active external rotation deficit (ERD) would restore external rotation (ER) with concomitant deterioration in internal rotation.

Methods: In our cohort study, 26 RCA patients with an active ERD (ie, positive lag sign and maximum active ER of 0°) underwent RSA between September 2007 and February 2015; LDT was completed in 13 of these patients. In addition, 88 control patients without ERD who underwent only RSA were identified. Clinical outcomes of strength, range of motion, Constant-Murley score, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score, as well as complications, were documented 6, 12, 24, and 60 months postoperatively. We made comparative analyses using statistical mixed models.

Results: The LDT procedure extended the surgical time by 26 minutes (P = .003). LDT patients had up to 22° better postoperative active ER than control patients (P < .001), although this was accompanied by an internal rotation deficit (77% vs 46% of control patients could not reach the lumbosacral region, P = .010). We calculated a 23% risk of local procedure-related complications for RSA patients with an active ERD and LDT.

Conclusion: Patients with RCA and an active ERD seem to benefit from an LDT, although this is accompanied by the potential loss of internal rotation. This additional procedure is associated with an extended surgical time as well as a possible increase in the risk of a complication occurring.