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Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty: How It Works

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Abstract

The semi-constrained reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) designed by incorporating Grammont’s work allows us to treat complex shoulder conditions, such as irreparable rotator cuff tears, eccentric shoulder osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatic diseases, and trauma in elderly patients. In other words, all those conditions where all other shoulder arthroplasty designs had failed.

The rationale of RSA has been supported by various biomechanical studies and by the development of several implant designs. Scapular notching is an unfavorable effect of this type of prosthesis, albeit it does not necessarily compromise the longevity of the implant. Understanding of this phenomenon has opened the way to its prevention.

Recent studies showed improved survival of RSA. This is promising and allows the range of indications to be widened.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinique Générale, Annecy, France

    Bruno Toussaint & Jérôme Bahurel

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  1. Bruno Toussaint
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  2. Jérôme Bahurel
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Giuseppe Milano

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, Casa di Cura Villa Valeria, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Grasso

  3. Clínica del Pilar , Zaragoza, Spain

    Angel Calvo

  4. Orthopaedic/Upper Limb, St. Luke’s Hospital, Bielsko-Biała, Poland

    Roman Brzóska

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Toussaint, B., Bahurel, J. (2018). Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty: How It Works. In: Milano, G., Grasso, A., Calvo, A., Brzóska, R. (eds) Management of Failed Shoulder Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56504-9_21

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