Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty With a Nonspherical Humeral Head and Inlay Glenoid in Elite Weight Lifters: A Prospective Case Series.

backgroundWeight lifting after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can place significant stresses on implants that could lead to instability, loosening, and increased wear. A TSA system with nonspherical humeral head resurfacing and inlay glenoid-which improves the biomechanics and thus reduces instability, wear, and potential loosening-may be able to tolerate repetitive loads from weight lifting. PURPOSE: To determine clinical and radiographic outcomes after TSA in weight lifters. STUDY

designCase series; Level of evidence, 4.

methodsWe prospectively enrolled 16 weight lifters (mean ± SD age, 57.2 ± 7.8 years; 15 male) undergoing primary anatomic TSA (n = 17 shoulders, 1 staged bilateral) with nonspherical humeral head resurfacing and inlay glenoid replacement for glenohumeral osteoarthritis between February 2015 and February 2019. Exclusion criteria were rotator cuff deficiency, revision TSA, post-traumatic arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis. Outcome measures included the rate of return to weight lifting, results of patient-reported outcome measures (Penn Shoulder Score, Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, and 12-Item Veterans RAND Health Survey), radiographic outcomes, and complication rate.

resultsFollow-up was obtained on all patients at a mean of 38 months (range, 14-63 months). All patients returned to competitive weight lifting at 15.6 ± 6.9 weeks. Compared to the preoperative weight lifting level, at last follow-up patients reported performance at the following level: lighter weight, 1 (6%); same weight, 8 (50%); heavier weight, 7 (44%). Preoperative eccentric posterior glenoid wear was common (71% Walch B2 classification; 12/17), but posterior humeral subluxation improved at follow-up according to the Walch index (mean, 55.5% preoperative vs 48.5% postoperative;

conclusionThere were substantial improvements in shoulder function and a high rate of return to weight lifting after TSA with a nonspherical humeral head resurfacing and inlay glenoid component. Radiographically, the humeral head centralized on the glenoid after surgery, and there was no evidence of component loosening at a mean 38-month follow-up.