Outcome of Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Matched Cohort Study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurologic disorder that affects the musculoskeletal system. Currently, the use of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) for patients with PD has not been adequately studied. The authors sought to determine if RSA provided similar functional outcomes for patients with PD compared with a matched cohort of patients without PD. Between 2004 and 2011, 10 patients with PD (4 men, 6 women) underwent RSA. Patients with PD were matched to patients without PD at a 1:4 ratio based on age (average, 76 years; range, 63-85 years), sex (16 men, 24 women), preoperative diagnosis, and length of follow-up (average, 43 months; range, 24-128 months). Outcome measures included range of motion, visual analog scale (VAS) score, Simple Shoulder Test (SST) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score, and complication rates. Patients with PD had improvements in SST scores, ASES total scores, and forward flexion; however, they did not show statistically significant improvements in VAS scores, ASES function scores, or other range of motion parameters. There was a significant difference in postoperative functional outcome scores, SST scores, and internal/external rotation between the 2 groups, but no difference in postoperative pain scores, ASES total scores, forward flexion, or abduction. Complications occurred in 4 of 10 patients with PD and 6 of 40 patients without PD. Compared with the matched cohort, patients with PD achieved similar reduction of pain but inferior clinical function following RSA. Improvement in range of motion was less predictable and complication rates were significantly higher in patients with PD. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(4):e675-e680.].