With the increasing incidence of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) being performed worldwide, there is a growing effort to reduce postoperative pain, the consumption of opioids (oral morphine ...equivalents OMEs), and subsequent in hospital length of stay. Although perioperative pain control regimens have been widely studied in patients undergoing TSA, patients continue to consume a significant quantity of opioids after surgery. In the era of an opioid epidemic, novel methods for the improvement of perioperative pain control is of utmost importance. The aim of this quality improvement initiative was to evaluate the effect of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) versus ropivacaine (RP) in interscalene peripheral nerve blockade (IPNB) in patients undergoing TSA.
This quality improvement initiative prospectively evaluated a consecutive group of patients undergoing TSA from June 2017 to September 2019. Patients were included if they underwent either an anatomic or reverse shoulder arthroplasty at a single institution by 1 of 2 fellowship trained surgeons. Patients were divided in to 2 temporal cohorts based on the US Food and Drug administration's approval of LB. Patients who received a RPIPNB were in the control group, while those who received a LBIPNB were in the treatment group. Outcome measures studied included average visual analog pain scores (VAS) at 24 and 48 hours in the hospital, OME's, and length of stay.
A total of 114 patients underwent TSA and met the inclusion criteria to be included in the analysis: 58 received RPIPNB and 56 received LBIPNB. The cohorts did not demonstrate any statistically different attributes (eg, age, sex, dominance, smoking status, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, HTN, or ASA class). Difference in 24 hour and 48 hour VAS pain scores was significantly improved in the LBIPNB group as compared to the RPIPNB group (2.46 vs. 0.72, and 2.02 and −0.41, respectively P < .01). Difference in OME's and length of stay were not statistically significant.
Despite significantly improved pain scores at 24 hours and 48 hours, patients who received LBIPNB did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in LOS or quantity of OME's consumed. The discrepancy between subjective numeric pain scores and objective healthcare metrics is likely multifactorial, and brings to light the difficulty in determining the value of new pain regimens. In lieu of these findings, it is difficult to endorse or reject the use of LBIPNB in TSA. Without further studies demonstrating improved efficacy in reduction of opioid consumption and LOS, given the additional expense of the drug, its continued use remains uncertain.
Level III.
Optimizing deltoid tension during reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) remains a challenge for the shoulder surgeon. Ideal tension likely differs based on patient age, anatomy, size, preoperative ...diagnosis, and deltoid strength. Excess tension might overstuff the joint and limit range of motion. The aim of this study was to compare the function of patients with early postoperative instability (as a proxy for deltoid tension) and those without instability.
A retrospective cohort study comparing two groups of patients with primary RSA operated on over a 5-year period by a single fellowship-trained shoulder and elbow surgeon using a combination of lateralized and medialized glenoid prosthesis with a 135-degree neck-shaft angle on the humeral side was conducted. The main exposure was shoulder dislocation that did not require revision arthroplasty compared with all other patients in the study period who underwent uneventful primary RSA. Chart review was performed for patient demographics, preoperative diagnosis, operative details, preoperative and postoperative range of motion and pain, reoperation, and instability events. The primary outcome was final clinic visit forward elevation. Outcomes included preoperative, postoperative, and difference in forward elevation and external rotation, as well as pain level.
A total of 79 shoulders treated with primary RSA from 2015 to 2019 were identified. The average follow-up was 9 months (range, 3-47 months). Sixty-seven patients (72 shoulders) underwent uneventful primary RSA. Seven patients (7 shoulders) in the treatment cohort presented to a postoperative visit with complaint of shoulder dislocation that was able to be self-reduced and/or presented with a dislocated shoulder requiring closed reduction without sedation. At the final follow-up, average postoperative forward elevation was 121 ± 27 degrees in stable shoulders versus 145 ± 15 degrees in the unstable group (P = .003). No significant difference in external rotation was shown between stable and unstable RSA (39 ± 12 degrees and 36 ± 14 degrees, respectively). Overall average forward elevation and external rotation improved from 71 to 123 degrees and 19 to 39 degrees, respectively. More than 95% of patients (69/72 uneventful RSA and 6/7 unstable RSA) reported improvement in shoulder pain postoperatively.
In the absence of other reasons for instability, early dislocation after RSA is a potential marker of relatively loose deltoid tension. In this study, patients with instability demonstrated higher forward elevation. Patients without instability are likely a mix of those with optimal and suboptimal deltoid tension.
Level III, Retrospective Comparative Treatment Study
The annual volume of shoulder arthroplasty (SA) in the United States has increased more than 400% from 1993 to 2008 and is projected to increase an additional 300% from 2008 to 2030. The purpose of ...this study was to develop and internally validate a preoperative predictive nomogram for length of stay (LOS) after SA. We hypothesized that patient-specific covariates are responsible for increased LOS after SA. If sufficiently accurate, such a nomogram would be valuable for defining which patients would qualify for outpatient SA.
A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify patient variables responsible for increased LOS defined as ≥ 2 days. Patient data were collected from 234 consecutive SA cases performed between 2010 and 2016 at a single tertiary healthcare center by six orthopedic surgeons. The cohort was separated into two groups: short LOS (≤1 day; n = 98) and extended LOS (≥2 days; n = 136). Logistic regression coefficients were used to construct an LOS nomogram that was internally validated by the bootstrapping method. A receiver operating characteristic curve plot determined the discriminative ability of the nomogram. Generalizability was assessed using external validation with a new data set of 193 records prospectively collected from 2016 to 2018.
Univariate analysis demonstrated that female sex, cancer history, anticoagulation and oral hypoglycemic agents, undergoing humeral head replacement for fracture, and discharge to a facility were significant predictors for an LOS ≥2 days. The following patient covariates were found to be significant in the development of the nomogram: age, female sex, procedure type, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), renal dysfunction, and diabetes drugs. The prediction accuracy of this model was good (area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve plot of 0.793). External validation of the model reported an area under the curve of 0.664.
Patients most suitable for expedited postoperative stay are healthy middle-aged males that are not on diabetic medications or DMARDs, have no renal disease, and undergo resurfacing, total SA, or reverse total SA. This nomogram may be an additional clinical decision-making tool for effectively preparing for postoperative care and decreasing LOS for an episode of care, subsequently reducing the total cost of care. Future work would focus on undertaking a prospective multicenter study involving institutions that perform a high annual volume of SAs.
Level III; Retrospective Cohort Study
Patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can have varying levels of improvement after surgery. As patients typically demonstrate a nonlinear recovery trajectory, advanced analysis ...investigating the degrees of variation in outcomes is needed. Latent class analysis (LCA) is a mixed and multilevel model that estimates random slope variance to evaluate heterogeneity in outcome patterns among patient subgroups and can be used to outline differing recovery trajectories. The purpose of this study was to determine recovery trajectory patterns after TSA and to identify factors that predict a given trajectory.
Data from a prospectively collected single institutional database of patients undergoing anatomic and reverse TSA were utilized. Patients were included if they had American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) scores preoperatively, as well as postoperative scores at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Patients were excluded if they underwent a revision procedure or hemiarthroplasty or had prior infection. LCA was used to subdivide the patient cohort into subclasses based on postoperative recovery trajectory. This was performed for all patients as well as anatomic TSA and reverse TSA as separate groups. Unpaired Student t tests, analysis of variance, and Fisher exact test were used to compare classes based on factors including age, body mass index, sex, preoperative diagnosis, and type of arthroplasty.
A total of 244 TSAs were included in the final analysis, comprising 89 anatomic TSA and 155 reverse TSA. In the combined group, LCA modeling revealed 3 patterns for recovery: Resistant Responders had low baseline scores (ASES < 30) and poor final results (ASES < 50), Steady Progressors had moderate baseline scores (ASES 30-50) with moderate final results (ASES 50-75), and High Performers had moderate baseline scores (ASES > 50) with excellent final results (ASES > 75). For anatomic TSA, we identified Delayed Responders with moderate baseline scores and a delayed response before ultimately achieving moderate final results, Steady Progressors with moderate baseline scores and a steady progression to achieve moderate final results, and High Performers who had moderate baseline scores and excellent final results. For reverse TSA, we identified Late Regressors with low baseline scores and poor final results, Steady Progressors with moderate baseline scores and moderate final results, and High Performers with moderate baseline scores and excellent final results.
Patients recover in a heterogenous manner following TSA. Through LCA, we identified different recovery trajectories for patients undergoing anatomic TSA and reverse TSA.
The purpose of this research was to systematically review and summarize the existent literature on the use of the cement-within-cement technique for revision reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA).
We ...followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant studies. We included clinical studies in which patients underwent RSA revision using the cement-within-cement method for the humeral component, and studies that evaluated the biomechanical performance or described the surgical technique. The methodological risk of bias was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies scale.
The search yielded 516 records, of which two clinical and one biomechanical study met the inclusion criteria, involving 133 patients and 20 synthetic humeri. The intraoperative complication rate was 18%, all of which involved humeral fractures. The postoperative complication rate was 18% among 35 patients. The combined re-revision rate was 9%, with a reported humeral component survival rate of 100% at 2 years and 96% at 5 years. Periprosthetic fractures (1.5%) and humeral stem loosening (1.5%) led to re-revision surgeries in all cases. All studies reported improved patient-reported outcomes and range of motion. The biomechanical study demonstrated increased rotational stability in models that used larger humeral stems.
The cement-within-cement method is a viable option for revision RSA, showing positive outcomes in terms of stability, range of motion, and clinical functional scores. The complication rate is similar to that of other revision strategies; however, the prevalence of intraoperative humeral fractures may be higher. Nevertheless, future studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to refine patient selection, determine the efficacy of long-term use, and identify factors that may influence outcomes after the cement-within-cement revision technique. Further research on an optimized stem fixation strategy is needed to improve outcomes and reduce avoidable complications.
Level IV, Systematic reviews.
Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce perioperative blood loss and risk of blood transfusion. Evidence establishing its efficacy in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is limited. The current ...study evaluated the effect of TXA on perioperative blood loss and transfusion risk after TSA.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of TXA administration for TSA was performed, and 6 studies with a total of 680 patients were found. Data on change in hemoglobin, drain output, total blood loss, and transfusion were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed with stratification into reverse and anatomic TSA subgroups.
TXA administration was associated with decreased change in hemoglobin (−0.63 g/dL; 95% CI, −0.87 to −0.39 g/dL; P < .00001), drain output (−112.05 mL; 95% CI, −182.29 to −41.81 mL; P < .0001), and total blood loss (−231.87 mL; 95% CI, −334.23 to −129.48 mL; P < .00001) after reverse TSA. There was a trend toward reduction in transfusion rate after reverse TSA (−4%; 95% CI, −8% to 0%; P = .06). TXA administration was associated with reduced drain output after anatomic TSA (−123.07 mL; 95% CI, −163.93 to −82.20 mL; P < 0.00001). TXA administration was not associated with decreased transfusion rate after anatomic TSA. Data to evaluate the effect of TXA on change in hemoglobin and total blood loss after anatomic TSA were insufficient.
Routine administration of TXA reduces perioperative blood loss and may reduce the risk of transfusion after reverse TSA. Future studies are needed to further characterize its effect on the risk of transfusion after reverse TSA and efficacy in anatomic TSA.
Although shoulder arthroplasty often gives a reliable improvement in shoulder pain and function after proximal humeral fractures (PHFs), one must consider the risk of complications. The purpose of ...this study was to investigate whether body mass index (BMI) is associated with an increased risk of complications or worse postoperative shoulder function after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) or hemiarthroplasty (HA) in patients with PHF.
This study included 233 patients who underwent HA or RSA after PHF in the Ryhov Teaching Hospital between 2006 and 2018. Data collected include age, gender, BMI, preoperative and postoperative Constant score, preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score during rest and activity, postoperative complications, and patient satisfaction.
Analysis was made in HA and RSA patients separately. The HA and RSA patients were divided into three groups based on their BMI. Group I consisted of patients with a BMI <25 kg/m2, group II consisted of patients with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2, and group III consisted of patients with a BMI > 30 kg/m2. We found no statistically significant difference between BMI groups regarding postoperative Constant score, postoperative VAS score during rest, postoperative VAS score during activity, postoperative complications, and patient satisfaction in neither HA patients nor RSA patients.
This study showed that BMI did not affect the risk of postoperative complications or bad functional outcome after treatment of PHF with HA or RSA.
This study aimed to determine whether there is a long-term difference in outcomes between anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) performed for proximal ...humerus fracture (PHF) sequelae. Hypotheses were as follows: (1) patients undergoing aTSA would have improved functional outcomes but a greater incidence of adverse events (AEs) and reoperation than those undergoing rTSA and (2) patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) would have worse outcomes with more AEs and reoperations than those undergoing shoulder arthroplasty for sequelae of nonoperatively managed PHF.
A prospectively collected database was queried for patients with PHF sequelae undergoing aTSA or rTSA between 2007 and 2020 with minimum 2-year follow-up. Baseline demographics, perioperative data, postoperative AEs, functional outcomes, and range of motion (ROM) were compared between aTSA and rTSA groups. A secondary analysis was performed to compare patients treated with prior PHF ORIF vs. those treated nonoperatively.
There were 17 patients in the aTSA group and 83 patients in the rTSA group. Type I PHF sequelae predominated among patients who underwent aTSA (71% vs. 40%, P = .026). Incidence of total postoperative AEs was greater after aTSA than that after rTSA (12% vs. 5%, P = .277), with a significantly higher rate of glenoid aseptic loosening after aTSA (6% vs. 0%, P = .026). All AEs required reoperation except one in the rTSA group. The mean follow-up was 66 months for aTSA compared with 45 months for rTSA (P = .002). No differences in functional outcomes or ROM between aTSA and rTSA persisted beyond 3 months or at the final follow-up except external rotation, which favored aTSA for 3 years postoperatively. In the secondary analysis, there were 33 patients in the ORIF group and 67 in the non-ORIF group. One (3%) postoperative AE occurred in the ORIF group vs. five (7%) in the non-ORIF group (P = .385). At a mean follow-up of 4 years, there were no differences in functional outcome scores or ROM between ORIF and non-ORIF groups, except for patient-reported shoulder function (6.3 vs. 7.4, respectively, P = .037).
For treatment of PHF sequelae, aTSA may result in a higher incidence of postoperative AEs and reoperation than rTSA, particularly due to glenoid aseptic loosening. No difference in functional outcome scores between aTSA and rTSA persists beyond 3 months or at the final follow-up. Although active external rotation is significantly improved after aTSA for the first 3 years postoperatively, no differences in ROM exist beyond 4 years at the final follow-up. Patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty for PHF sequelae have comparable outcomes regardless of prior ORIF or nonoperative management.
Level III; Retrospective Cohort Design; Treatment Study
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