HEMIARTHROPLASTY FOR GLENOHUMERAL OSTEOARTHRITIS - RESULTS CORRELATEDTO DEGREE OF GLENOID WEAR

Thirty patients (31 shoulders) were retrospectively reviewed after hem iarthroplasty for glenohumeral osteoarthritis. Ten shoulders had prima ry osteoarthritis, and 21 shoulders had secondary osteoarthritis. Glen oid surface wear was evaluated and classified as either type I, concen tric, (15 shoulders) or type II, nonconcentric, (16 shoulders). Postop erative results were reviewed with the American Shoulder and Elbow Sur geons' evaluation Form, Neer classification, and the Constant score. O verall, 23 (74%) shoulders achieved satisfactory results, and 8 (26%) shoulders had unsatisfactory results. Results were similar in the prim ary and secondary osteoarthritis groups. Outcome correlated most signi ficantly with the status of posterior glenoid wear. Patients with conc entric, type I glenoids achieved 86% satisfactory results, whereas pat ients with nonconcentric, type II glenoids had only 63% satisfactory r esults. Although pain relief was similar in both groups, the unsatisfa ctory results were attributed to loss of Forward elevation and externa l rotation in patients with type II glenoids. On the basis of these re sults hemiarthroplasty can be an effective treatment for both primary and secondary arthritis but should be reserved for patients with a con centric glenoid, which affords a better fulcrum For glenohumeral motio n.