Reversed shoulder arthroplasty as treatment for late or ancient chronic glenohumeral dislocation

Chronic glenohumeral dislocation is a rare entity and several treatment options have been proposed. The aim of this study is to report the long-term follow-up of the reversed shoulder arthroplasty in patients with chronic glenohumeral dislocation. A retrospective analysis of all patients between January 2002 and December 2012 that were treated with a reversed shoulder arthroplasty for chronic anterior glenohumeral dislocations was performed. Pre-operative CT evaluation of the bone loss and fatty degeneration of the rotator cuff muscles was performed. Pre- and postoperative Constant-Murley score was evaluated. 6 patients (4 males and 2 females) with anterior glenohumeral dislocations were evaluated. Average age was 73 years (between 65-86 years). The average time of dislocation was 18 weeks (between 4 and 52 weeks). Average time of follow-up was 39 months (between 12 and 90 months). The CM improved from 33 (between 17 and 45) pre-op to 76 postop (between 55 and 89). No postoperative complications were observed. Reversed shoulder arthroplasty gives good results in case of chronic glenohumeral dislocation.