Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Outcomes Were Not Negatively Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective  To investigate whether patients undergoing anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (ATSA) between January and March 2020 experienced different postoperative outcomes than patients in 2019. We hypothesized that patients in 2020 would have less access to physical therapy (PT) and experience different postoperative outcomes. Methods  Records from patients who received ATSA between January 1st, 2019, and March 17th, 2019, and January 1st, 2020, to March 17th, 2020, were analyzed. Patient data, including demographic information, range of motion (ROM), strength, and PT was collected and compared between the two groups. The 2020 patients were contacted by phone during October 2022 and patient-reported metrics were gathered. Results  The present study identified 24 patients in 2019 and 27 patients in 2020 who underwent ATSA during the specified time frame and had a minimum 1-year follow-up. Patients in 2019 experienced improvements in forward elevation (FE) ROM (125.4° to 146.7°; p  = 0.008), external rotation (ER; 33.0° to 47.7°; p  < 0.001), and internal rotation (IR; S1 to L4; p  = 0.019). Patients in 2020 also experienced significant improvements in FE (120.2° to 141.1°; p  = 0.009), ER (32.9° to 42.0°; p  = 0.037), and IR (S1 to L3; p  = 0.002). Patients in 2020 terminated PT earlier (2019: 125.8 days; 2020: 91.1 days; p  = 0.046) and completed fewer sessions (2019: 21.4 sessions; 2020: 13.1 sessions; p  = 0.003). At the final follow-up, patients in 2020 reported an average Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score of 1.67 ± 1.1. Conclusion  Despite decreased PT, patients who underwent ATSA in 2020 had significant improvements in ROM and strength and were comparable to patients in 2019.