Solid organ transplant patients do well after shoulder arthroplasty: a propensity matched analysis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Transplant Surgery
• Immunology

Background:

• Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients often require immunosuppressive therapy, potentially increasing risks after total shoulder arthroplasty.
• Analyzing the impact of SOT and immunosuppression on shoulder arthroplasty outcomes is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the functional and patient-reported outcomes of total shoulder arthroplasty in SOT recipients.
• To compare outcomes between SOT patients and a matched control group without SOT.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study (2010-2020) compared 34 SOT patients with 136 non-SOT controls who underwent total shoulder arthroplasty.
• Outcomes assessed included range of motion, strength, and patient-reported scores (VAS, SST, ASES, SANE).
• Complication and revision rates were also analyzed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in the improvement of range of motion and strength between SOT and non-SOT groups.
• SOT patients reported lower ASES and SANE scores compared to controls.
• Complication rates were not significantly higher in the SOT group (15% vs. 6%), with similar revision rates (3% vs. 5%).

Conclusions:

• Total shoulder arthroplasty is a safe and effective procedure for SOT recipients.
• SOT patients on immunosuppression achieve comparable clinical outcomes and revision rates to non-SOT patients.
• Higher complication rates were observed in SOT patients, warranting further investigation.