Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Cuff Tear Arthropathy: Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: In our study, we aimed to examine the results and complications of reverse shoulder prosthesis (RSA) applied after rotator cuff tear arthropathy (CTA) in the light of the current literature. Methods: The literature search was conducted simultaneously on 1 April 2024 in the Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, Google Scholar and Ovid databases using the ''reverse total shoulder arthroplasty'', ''reverse total shoulder prosthesis'', ''cuff tear arthropathy'', ''outcomes'' and ''complications'' keywords. Only clinical review published in English in peer-reviewed journals was evaluated. The comparison between preoperative and postoperative clinical scores, as well as range of motion (ROM), was performed using the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test. P values lower than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 12 articles were included in our study. When comparing the results of the pre- and postoperative examinations, a statistically significant improvement in the range of motion and the functional score was found. It was found that various complications occurred in 21.1% of patients. The most common complication is scapular notching, which occurred in 13.8% of patients. Revision surgery was required in 1.57% of patients. The most common cause of revision was a periprosthetic joint infection. Conclusion: In CTA patients, RSA can achieve both freedom from pain in the shoulder joint and an increase in function. Despite positive results, complications of varying degrees of severity can occur in around one fifth of patients. The lack of Level I studies limits a true understanding of the possibilities and limitations of RSA in the treatment of CTA patients.