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Updated: Oct 19, 2025

Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty in the Management of Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears without Arthritis
Kevin L Harreld1, Brian L Puskas1, Jaron Andersen1
1Florida Orthopaedic Institute, 13020 North Telecom Parkway, Tampa, FL 33637. E-mail address for M.A. Frankle: frankle@pol.net.
Introduction:
The ability to provide reliable outcomes in treatment of patients with degenerative rotator cuff tears has become increasingly complicated, as a result of more advanced disease and the increased array of treatment choices.
Step 1 Preoperative Planning:
Develop and communicate with a consistent team of interdisciplinary physicians both preoperatively and postoperatively; utilize advanced imaging modalities to evaluate muscle atrophy as well as glenoid and humeral bone stock.
Step 2 Patient Positioning:
Place the patient in a beach-chair position, check the abdominal strap, and position yourself facing the axilla.
Step 3 Surgical Approach:
Develop the subdeltoid and subacromial spaces and take care to avoid vigorous over-retraction of the deltoid.
Step 4 Humeral Exposure And Preparation:
Perform the head cut utilizing the 135° resection guide, broach the humerus, and ream the humeral socket.
Step 5 Glenoid Exposure And Preparation Glenosphere Insertion:
Ream the inferior surface to bleeding subchondral bone; bleeding subchondral bone on the inferior 50% of the prepared glenoid surface indicates a sufficient depth.
Step 6 Final Humeral Preparation:
At final reaming, the edge of the reamer should sit flush with the cut surface of the humerus.
Step 7 Trialing:
Proper soft-tissue balance is frequently achieved by positioning the humeral component so that the rim of the socket lies just above the humeral osteotomy site at the anatomic neck.
Step 8 Component Implantation And Closure:
When cementing the humeral component, the socket should match the reamed proximal part of the humerus.
Results:
Initially, reverse shoulder arthroplasty was primarily used to treat osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint resulting from chronic rotator cuff deficiency or for true rotator cuff tear arthropathy.
What To Watch For:
Indications Contraindications Pitfalls & Challenges.
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