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Updated: Oct 27, 2025
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Posterior glenoid bone block transfer for posterior shoulder instability: a systematic review
Edward S Mojica1, Luke B Schwartz1, Eoghan T Hurley1
1Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
Background:
The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature and evaluate patient-reported outcomes and complication/revision rates of bone block augmentation in the treatment of posterior shoulder instability (PSI).
Methods:
PubMed was searched according to PRIMSA guidelines to find clinical studies evaluating patient-reported outcomes, revision, and complication rates in posterior bone block for PSI. A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library was performed based on the PRISMA guidelines. Clinical studies reporting on the complications following posterior bone block were included.
Results:
Overall, 11 studies (level of evidence [LOE] III: 2, LOE IV: 9) met inclusion criteria, with 225 shoulders. Recurrent instability after the posterior bone block was found to be 9.8%. The overall complication rate was 13.8%, with 0.89% having graft complications, 11.1% having hardware complications, 0.4% having wound complications, 0.4% having nerve complications, and 0.89% having other complications. Residual pain was found in 11.6% of shoulders operated on. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated most commonly by Rowe (81.4%), Constant (84.6%), and Walch-Duplay scores (81.6%).
Conclusion:
There is a moderate rate of recurrence following posterior bone block for PSI. However, the patient-reported outcomes are high despite there being commonly reported persistent shoulder pain postoperatively.
