Preoperative planning and postoperative imaging in shoulder arthroplasty

The number of shoulder arthroplasties performed in the United States has more than doubled in the last decade. Additionally, there has been a trend toward use of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty and minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as resurfacing humeral head arthroplasty. Thus radiologists will more frequently encounter imaging of shoulder arthroplasty and these new designs. Successful postoperative radiologic evaluation of shoulder reconstructions requires an understanding of their fundamental hardware design, physiologic objective, preoperative imaging assessment, normal postoperative radiologic appearance, and findings and types of complication. This article discusses the designs of prostheses used around the shoulder joint, delineates indications and alternatives for each of the different types of hardware, reviews radiographic and cross-sectional preoperative imaging of shoulder arthroplasty, illustrates normal postoperative imaging findings and measurements, and provides examples of hardware complications.