Prospective multicentre mid-term clinical and radiological outcomes of 159 reverse total shoulder replacements and assessment of the influence of post-operative complications.

Background: The aim of our prospective multicentre study is to evaluate the five-year follow-up outcomes of primary reverse shoulder replacement utilizing two different designs of glenoid baseplates.

Methods: There were 159 reverse shoulder replacements (91 cemented and 68 uncemented stems, 67 Trabecular Metal baseplates and 92 Anatomical Shoulder baseplates in 152 patients (99 women) with a mean age of 74.5 (58-90) years. The principal diagnosis was rotator cuff arthropathy in 108 shoulders.

Results: Clinical and functional results improved significantly overall; the adjusted Constant Murley score improved from 28.2 ± 13.3 pre-operatively to 75.5 ± 22.8 ( < 0.0001) and the mean Subjective Shoulder Value improved from 27.5 ± 20 to 73.8 ± 21.3 points ( < 0.0001). Radiologically, there was good bony stability in 88% and 86% of cemented and uncemented stems without significant impact on the Constant Murley score and Subjective Shoulder Value at one, two and five years post-surgery. There were no significant clinical differences between Trabecular Metal and Anatomical Shoulder baseplates at five years. There were four cases of intraoperative shaft fractures that were managed with cables. Although the Trabecular Metal baseplates showed better integration radiologically, there was no significant difference in the mean of Constant Murley, Subjective Shoulder Value and the range of motion depending on the grade of inferior scapular notching at one-, two- and five-year intervals.

Conclusions: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty restores the function in shoulder with significant improvements in function and moderate complications with minor differences between both designs of baseplates that were not reflected clinically.