Patient functional self-assessment in late glenoid component failure at three to eleven years after total shoulder arthroplasty

Failure of the glenoid component is the most common indication for late revision of a total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). This is the first study to characterize the deterioration in patient self-assessment of shoulder function occurring with glenoid component failure at times remote from the index surgery. Of 115 total shoulders, 11 had revision by the original surgeon for isolated glenoid loosening. Simple Shoulder Test scores averaged 4.4 before TSA, rose to a mean of 11.3 after surgery, and fell to a mean of 4.6 before revision for glenoid loosening performed at a mean of 7 years after TSA. All shoulders showed a drop of at least 3 points between the peak Simple Shoulder Test score and the prerevision Simple Shoulder Test score. Periodic self-assessment of shoulder function may offer a method of screening patients for the possibility of late glenoid component failure.