Does glenoid baseplate geometry affect its fixation in reverse shoulder arthroplasty? JSES

Does glenoid baseplate geometry affect its fixation in reverse shoulder arthroplasty? These authors used 3-D models of 6 scapulas to examine the effect of baseplate geometry of concave and flat glenoid baseplates.  Apparently the scapulas were normal and not those typically found in patients requiring reverse total shoulders. They compared only the Zimmer Trabecular Metal Reverse to the Zimmer Anatomical Shoulder Inverse/Reverse. They found flat backed base plates were associated with (1) less bone removed, (2) less contact area, and (3) greater opportunity for screw engagement.

This article points to some of the many variables encountered in the surgical technique of reverse total shoulder implantation.  However, there are others that may be even more important, such as the anatomy and bone quality of the individual scapula, the superior/inferior position of the component on the scapula, and the quality of initial fixation offered by the screw configuration.

---

If you have suggestions for topics you'd like us to address in this blog, please send an email to

shoulderarthritis@uw.edu.

Use the "Search the Blog" box to the right to find other topics of interest to you.

You may be interested in some of our most visited web pages including:shoulder arthritis, total shoulder, ream and run, reverse total shoulder, CTA arthroplasty,  and rotator cuff surgery.

See the countries from which our readers come on this post.