ArticleEuropean radiology2026
Evaluation of deltoid muscle quality in reverse shoulder arthroplasty: correlation of MRI findings with postoperative function and strength.
Article in European radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Preoperative deltoid CT attenuation predicts clinical outcomes and influences treatment selection in geriatric proximal humerus fractures.Skeletal radiology · 2026Article
- Deltoid Muscle Volume Correlates With Patient Outcome After Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate associations between MRI-derived deltoid muscle parameters (areal fatty infiltration [FI] and cross-sectional area [CSA]) and clinical outcomes one year after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). MATERIALS AND
methodsIn this prospective, cross-sectional study, RTSA patients underwent 1.5-T MRI one year after surgery. Deltoid areal FI (%) and CSA (normalized to height, [CSAnorm, mm²/m]) were quantified in anterior, lateral, and posterior parts on T2-weighted imaging with metal artifact reduction. Spearman's correlation coefficients and age- and sex-adjusted linear regression models assessed associations with clinical outcomes (Constant-Murley Score [CMS] and isometric strength [N]).
resultsAmong 25 patients (75 years [IQR 70-79], 72% females, BMI 28.7 kg/m² [IQR 24.6-29.4]) whole deltoid CSAnorm was positively correlated with CMS (r = 0.51, p = 0.010) and abduction strength (r = 0.48, p = 0.015), while FI showed negative correlations (r = -0.46 to 0.60, p = 0.002-0.019). Anterior CSAnorm positively correlated with CMS (r = 0.55, p = 0.005) and strength (r = 0.41 to -0.42, p = 0.034-0.040), while anterior FI showed negative correlations with CMS (r = -0.79, p < 0.001) and strength (r = -0.58 to -0.63, p = 0.002-0.003). Lateral CSAnorm correlated with CMS (r = 0.49, p = 0.014) but not with strength, while lateral FI showed no significant correlations. After adjustment, higher anterior CSAnorm was associated with better function and strength (β = 0.84-1.14, p = 0.003-0.028), and higher FI was associated with worse function and strength (β = -0.49 to -0.92, p < 0.001-0.014). Lateral CSAnorm remained associated with CMS (β = 0.40, p = 0.034), while lateral FI showed no significant associations.
conclusionsMetal artifact-reduced MRI-derived FI and CSAnorm are associated with shoulder function and strength one year after RTSA, potentially serving as objective markers for postoperative assessment. KEY POINTS: Question RTSA success is measured by functional outcomes, but the relationship between postoperative imaging findings and functional results remains unclear. Findings Lower CSA and increased FI of deltoid, particularly anterior, were associated with reduced function and strength after RTSA. Clinical relevance Metal artifact-reduced MRI can assess postoperative deltoid FI and CSA, providing objective imaging biomarkers that complement clinical functional testing in the evaluation of patients following RTSA.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.