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Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Combination of Reverse Shoulder Prosthesis, Elbow Prosthesis, and Polyetheretherketone: A Modified Total Humeral
Dung Trung Tran1,2, Thanh Duc Tran1,2, Son Ba Nguyen3
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Health Science, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Abstract:
Total humeral replacement is a complex surgery that requires many challenges to overcome such as the weight of the implant material and the shoulder function due to extensive resection of the rotator cuff. Improvements in implants material that is lighter than usual can lead to higher surgery success rates. We present a patient who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the right humerus. The patient received 2 cycles of MAP chemotherapy (included: doxorubicin, cisplatin, and methotrexate) before surgery. He underwent radical resection of osteosarcoma and total humerus replacement with a modified total humeral material. The purpose of this improvement was to reduce the implant's weight and to improve postoperative recovery. Six months after the surgery, the weight-bearing ability of the patient's shoulder within a wide range of movement has restored; the shoulder, elbow, and hand can move in a controlled way. Despite the short postoperative follow-up time, the improvement in the modified technique has brought many positive results. Total humerus replacement, which combines the reverse shoulder prosthesis, elbow prosthesis, and polyetheretherketone, is an appropriate solution for patients with osteosarcoma of the humerus instead of custom-made humerus megaprosthesis.

