Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Oct 18, 2020; 11(10): 465-472
Published online Oct 18, 2020. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v11.i10.465
Conversion to reverse shoulder arthroplasty fifty-one years after shoulder arthrodesis: A case report
Melissa N Dogger, Annelies F van Bemmel, Tjarco D W Alta, Arthur van Noort
Melissa N Dogger, Annelies F van Bemmel, Tjarco D W Alta, Arthur van Noort, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Spaarne Gasthuis, Hoofddorp 2134 TM, Netherlands
Author contributions: Alta TDW, van Noort A, and van Bemmel AF were involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the case; Dogger MN, van Noort A, and van Bemmel AF helped to draft the manuscript; all authors reviewed and edited the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of his anonymized information to be published in this article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No potential conflicts of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Melissa N Dogger, MD, Doctor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Spaarne Gasthuis, Spaarnepoort 1, Hoofddorp 2134 TM, Netherlands. m.n.dogger@gmail.com
Received: May 19, 2020
Peer-review started: May 19, 2020
First decision: July 21, 2020
Revised: July 23, 2020
Accepted: September 4, 2020
Article in press: September 4, 2020
Published online: October 18, 2020
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Patients with a shoulder arthrodesis generally experience restriction in range of motion and limitations in activities of daily living. In addition, up to one-third of the patients deals with serious peri scapular pain. The conversion of a shoulder arthrodesis in a reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) has been described as an effective treatment to achieve better function and decreased pain, although literature is sparse. We present the case of a conversion from a painful shoulder arthrodesis to RSA, after a 51 years interval.

CASE SUMMARY

A 71-year-old male presented with severe peri scapular pain and limited function 51 years after shoulder arthrodesis. Preoperative workup showed a normal bone stock of the glenoid and an intact axillary nerve, but atrophic posterior part of the deltoid muscle. The shoulder arthrodesis was successfully converted to RSA. Twelve months postoperative the patient was very satisfied. He has no pain at rest, nor with exercise and experienced definite improvements in activities of daily living, despite his limited range of motion.

CONCLUSION

Conversion from shoulder arthrodesis to a RSA can be performed safely, with a high chance of peri scapular pain relief; even after a longstanding arthrodesis.

Keywords: Shoulder arthrodesis, Conversion, Reverse shoulder arthroplasty, Electromyography, Case report

Core Tip: To the best of our knowledge, this unique presentation of a conversion from shoulder arthrodesis to reverse shoulder arthroplasty is the sixth reported case. This treatment should be considered in patients with a painful shoulder arthrodesis. Requirements for a successful procedure are adequate bone stock and a functional deltoid muscle. The treatment can be performed safely, with a high chance of peri scapular pain relief; even after a longstanding arthrodesis. Improvements of activities of daily living are noticed, with varying results of shoulder function.