Clinical Research Studies

The purpose of this study is to collect and evaluate long-term clinical data on patients whose total shoulder replacement (TSR) is performed using the traditional surgical approach (called the subscapularis release approach) as compared to patients who have a TSR procedure done using a newer surgical approach (called the rotator cuff sparing approach).

Our study proposes to enroll two groups of patients with shoulder arthritis. The first group will be treated with the traditional TSR procedure. The second group will be treated with this new rotator cuff sparing surgical technique for TSR where the rotator cuff is never violated. After surgery, we will examine motion, strength, and functional use of the shoulder. In addition, we will specifically test the rotator cuff strength after the surgery. In this fashion, we plan to test the hypothesis that rotator cuff sparing TSR can improve the rotator cuff function while maintaining the excellent pain relief and motion that is normally observed after the traditional TSR procedure.

For patients with arthritis, TSR can successfully improve pain and restore function. As a result, TSR has become the treatment of choice for patients with shoulder arthritis. Despite these generally good outcomes, however, there are concerns that rotator cuff function is suboptimal after surgery. One of the rotator cuff tendons is usually cut during the TSR procedure to insert the prosthesis and then repaired at the end of the surgery. If the tendon does not heal adequately, patients may experience persistent weakness, pain, and even failure of the replacement. Recently, a surgical technique called rotator cuff sparing TSR has been described where the procedure can be performed without ever cutting any of the rotator cuff tendons. As such, there should be minimized risk to the rotator cuff function after the surgery.