Shoulder arthroplasty: return to sport

Increasingly, total shoulder arthroplasty is being performed not only to treat the pain associated with glenohumeral arthritis but also to return patients to the level of activity and function they enjoyed prior to the development of arthritis. While return to sport and activity have been studied in the total knee and total hip replacement literature, it is only relatively recently that the same focus has been placed on total shoulder replacements.

PubMed database from the years 2000 to 2014. All studies relevant to shoulder arthroplasty and return to sport were included in the review.

Clinical review.

Level 4.

An increasing number of patients seeking total shoulder arthroplasty are doing so with the expectation of not only decreased symptoms of glenohumeral arthritis but also of return to a high level of activity. The majority of patients are able to return to their prior level of activity within 6 months of surgery. In some series, patients saw an improvement in their ability to perform their chosen activity.

Patients should be counseled that there is a high probability that they will be able to return to their preoperative activity level after total shoulder arthroplasty and, in some cases, see an improvement in their abilities to participate in sport.

C.