The effect of total shoulder arthroplasty on self-assessed deficits in shoulder function in patients with capsulorrhaphy arthropathy

The objective of this study was to characterize self-assessed functional deficits before and after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) in a consecutive series of 24 patients treated for capsulorrhaphy arthropathy. Deficits were determined by use of the Simple Shoulder Test. The effects of age, type of original stabilization surgery, duration of time since the initial repair, and pattern of glenoid erosion were analyzed. Deficits were significantly reduced from 8.5 to 4 of 12 SST items after TSA (P = .003). Items related to motion and function had the largest effect on improvement. Age did not affect results. There was a trend toward greater improvement in patients whose original stabilization was less than 20 years previously (P = .06) and in those with concentric glenoid erosion (P = .06). A prior Bristow procedure was associated with the least improvement. Overall, TSA was an effective treatment for capsulorrhaphy arthropathy at midterm follow-up. Restoring range of motion appears to have the largest impact on improvement in function.