OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the correlation between radiographic parameters and functional assessments of patients with osteoarthritis of the shoulder who underwent shoulder arthroplasty and describe the functional outcomes of this procedure in our institution. METHODS: we evaluated 21 patients (22 shoulders) who underwent shoulder arthroplasty between 1998 and 2010 with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. clinical evaluation was performed using the constantmurley scale, ucla, vas and measuring the arc of active motion. we analysed preoperative radiographic parameters (distance from the top of the head and the humerus and the acromion, superior migration, neck angulation, medial "offset", subluxation, glenoid cavity erosion) and postoperatively we evaluated rod inclination, migration of components and loosening. RESULTS: patients showed significant improvement in all parameters: flexion (p = 0.0083), abduction (p = 0.0266), external rotation (p = 0.0062), constantmurley (p = 0.0001 ), ucla (p < 0.0001) and vas (p = 0.0002). the superior migration of the humerus showed a significant correlation with ucla and constant-murley scores (p = 0.0480 and p = 0.0110, respectively). the other radiographic parameters had no correlation with the clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: the superior migration of the humerus is related to a worsening of clinical scores. Level of Evidence IV, Case Series.
osteoarthritis; glenohumeral joint; arthroplasty
