Correlates with comfort and function after total shoulder arthroplasty fordegenerative joint disease

Although most patients are improved after shoulder arthroplasty: the degree of improvement is variable. The factors contributing to this variability a re not well understood In particular, little information is available regar ding the preoperative characteristics of the patient that may influence the quality of the result. This study correlated patient demographics, preoper ative health status, and preoperative shoulder function with 3 outcome metr ics: comfort, physical role function, and shoulder-specific function. One h undred thirty-four shoulders having total shoulder arthroplasty fbr degener ative glenohumeral joint disease had an average follow-vp of 3.4 +/- 7.8 ye ars. The SF-36 Comfort score improved from 39 to 61 (P < .0001). The SF-36 Physical Role Function score improved h-om 30 to 52 (P < .0001). The averag e number of Simple shoulder Test functions performable tout of 12) improved from 4 to P (P < .0001). The strongest correlates with postoperative comfo rt included preoperative physical function (P < .0001), general health (P < .0001), and social function (P < .007). The strongest correlates with post operative physical role function included preoperative physical function (P < .0001) and general health (P < .001). The strongest correlates with post operative shoulder function included male gender (P < .0001), and preoperat ive physical function (P < .0001), social function (P < .001), mental healt h (P < .0001) and shoulder function (P < .0001). These data indicate that t he overall well-being of the patient before surgery is strongly correlated with the quality of the outcome from total shoulder arthroplasty For degene rative glenohumeral joint disease.