Do patients return to sports and work after total shoulder replacement surgery?

Studies evaluating the return to sports and work after shoulder arthroplasty are rare, and there are no studies evaluating return to work after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA).

Patients undergoing TSA will be able to return to their preoperative sports levels and occupations.

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

A total of 154 patients with 170 TSAs for primary glenohumeral arthritis were included. Two subgroups were formed: patients who had participated in sports during the 5 years before surgery (group 1; n = 105 [68%]) and patients who had never participated in sports (group 2; n = 49 [32%]). The return-to-work rate in patients who had not retired after surgery were also analyzed, as were responses to a survey.

The mean age at the time of surgery was 71 years (range, 33-88 years) in group 1 and 76 years (range, 54-88 years) in group 2. Mean follow-up time was 6.2 years (range, 2.5-12.6 years). Fifty-seven patients (54%) in group 1 participated in sports right up to the time of surgery. All 57 (100%) returned to sports after surgery. A further 3 patients (3%) from group 1 resumed sporting activity after surgery; swimming was the most popular sport. No patient in group 2 started sports activity after shoulder replacement surgery. Many of the patients, 14% of the entire group, had retired by final follow-up because of TSA. Fourteen percent of patients in group 1 and group 2 were pursuing their work at the time of most recent follow-up. Thirty patients of the entire cohort (19.5%) had to change their occupations because of surgery.

Patients who participated in sports before TSA were successfully able to return to sports activities after surgery. Patients who did not participate in sports just before surgery were unlikely to start sports after surgery. Fourteen percent of the entire cohort was able to return to work after surgery.