Resection arthroplasty of the infected shoulder: a salvage procedure for the elderly patient

Infection of the shoulder joint is a challenging problem for the orthopaedic surgeon. Several treatment options have been proposed. Here, we evaluate the results achieved following resection arthroplasty of the shoulder in seven patients. We performed resection arthroplasty in seven cases to treat a chronic uncontrollable infection of the shoulder. Three patients had an infected shoulder arthroplasty, one had an infected non-united arthrodesis, one was treated for an infected osteosynthesis, one had an infected rotator cuff repair and one patient had a septic arthritis of the shoulder joint. All patients were reviewed after a mean of 252 days. The functional outcome was evaluated using the Constant and DASH score. C-Reactive Protein levels were determined to evaluate the presence of residual infection. Except for one doubtful result, all our patients remained free of infection and there was excellent pain relief after the resection. Nevertheless, the functional outcome was poor: the mean Constant score was 25.7 and the mean DASH score was 69.3. Resection arthroplasty of the shoulder is a valuable treatment option for infection of the shoulder, especially in older patients with a poor mental and physical condition who suffer intolerable pain.