Complications of Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Concise Review

Abstract

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty is an ideal treatment for glenohumeral dysfunction due to cuff tear arthropathy. As the number of patients treated with reverse shoulder arthroplasty is increasing, the incidence of complications after this procedure also is increasing. The rate of complications in reverse shoulder arthroplasty was reported to be 15%–24%. Recently, the following complications have been reported in order of frequency: periprosthetic infection, dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, neurologic injury, scapular notching, acromion or scapular spine fracture, and aseptic loosening of prosthesis. However, the overall complication rate has varied across studies because of different prosthesis used, improvement of implant and surgical skills, and different definitions of complications. Some authors included complications that affect the clinical outcomes of the surgery, while others reported minor complications that do not affect the clinical outcomes such as minor reversible neurologic deficit or minimal scapular notching. This review article summarizes the processes related to diagnosis and treatment of complications after reverse shoulder arthroplasty with the aim of helping clinicians reduce complications and perform appropriate procedures if/when complications occur.