Rehabilitation Following Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Stephanie Boudreau, Ed Boudreau, Laurence D. Higgins, Reg B. Wilcox III

DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2007.2562

SYNOPSIS: Reverse or inverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) is becoming a widely accepted surgical intervention. This procedure is specifically designed for the treatment of glenohumeral (GH) joint arthritis or complex fractures, when associated with irreparable rotator cuff (RC) damage or in the presence of RC arthropathy. Additionally, rTSA is an option for the revision of a previously failed conventional total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or hemiarthroplasty (HA) in the RC-deficient shoulder. The physical therapist, surgeon, and patient must take into consideration that the postoperative course for a patient following rTSA should be different than the rehabilitation following a traditional TSA. rTSA has only recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States; however, nearly a 20-year history of its use exists in Europe. To date, we are aware of no peer-reviewed published descriptions of the postoperative rehabilitation for patients having undergone this procedure. The purpose of this paper is to review the indications for rTSA, focusing on underlying pathology, and to outline a rehabilitation protocol founded on basic science principles and our experience working with patients following rTSA.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2007;37(12):734-743, published online 28 August 2007. doi:10.2519/jospt.2007.2562

KEY WORDS: cuff tear arthropathy, inverse total shoulder arthroplasty, physical therapy, shoulder rehabilitation

The authors review the indications for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA), focusing on underlying pathology, and outline a rehabilitation protocol founded on basic science principles and their experience working with patients following rTSA.

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