Shoulder Hemiarthroplasty After Previous Pectoralis Major Transfer for Irreparable Subscapularis Tear: A Case Report

A 30-year-old woman with an irreparable subscapularis tear presented with persistent painful anterior instability despite several open and arthroscopic stabilization procedures. A pectoralis major tendon transfer (PMTT) was performed. The patient subsequently developed progressive glenohumeral arthritis over the next 10 years, ultimately necessitating shoulder arthroplasty.

PMTT provides valuable anterior soft-tissue reconstruction stabilization for subscapularis insufficiency in a multioperated shoulder. Ten years later, the transfer was found to be intact and managed like a native subscapularis during anatomic shoulder replacement, thus avoiding a reverse arthroplasty in a young patient.