This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Study reveals early complication-based learning curve for reverse shoulder arthroplasty

Kempton LB. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011;doi:10.007/s11999-011-1811-4.

Issue: March 2011

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

A recently published study indicates a 40-case learning curve for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty based on early complication rates.

Researchers studied 200 reverse total shoulder arthroplasties (TSAs) performed by a single surgeon during a 4-year period. Forty revision arthroplasties and 152 primary cases were available for a minimum follow-up of 6 months.

Overall, the study revealed that 19 shoulders had local complications, and nine sustained perioperative systemic complications. The researchers discovered a local complication rate of 23.1% in the first 40 cases compared with a 6.5% rate in the last 160 cases. A comparison of primary and revision cases showed a higher rate of local complications (17.5% vs. 7.9%) and nerve palsies (9.8% vs. .06%) in the revision group.