Glenoid baseplate position in reverse shoulder arthroplasty

With the growing popularity of reverse shoulder arthroplasty and rapid advancements, attention has returned to the role of baseplate positioning on outcomes and complications. The purpose of this review is thus to revisit the current state of literature as it relates to glenoid baseplate positioning from both the clinical and biomechanical perspective.

An extensive literature search was conducted to review relevant biomechanical and clinical studies investigating outcomes of variations in baseplate positioning and inclination and discuss how these parameters may be changing with modern implant designs.

Glenoid baseplate positioning continues to evolve as we have yet to establish a clear consensus on the gold standard of placement. Inferior placement of the glenoid may not be necessary based on the growing popularity of lateralized glenoid design. Inferior glenoid tilt is biomechanically stronger; however, the use of a lateralized glenoid may negate the negative effects previously seen with superior glenoid tilt.

There remains little knowledge regarding the optimal glenoid version. Given the rapid design developments of the reverse shoulder arthroplasty, the importance of glenoid baseplate positioning on functional outcomes may need to be revisited.