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Total shoulder arthroplasty: are the humeral components getting shorter?

  • Shoulder Arthroplasty (G Athwal, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Each generation of total shoulder arthroplasy has improved on the previous. The newest humeral component innovation is shortening the humeral component or eliminating the stem entirely to rely on stemless fixation in the humeral metaphysis. This offers theoretical advantages of preserved bone stock, less stress shielding, eliminating the diaphyseal stress riser, ease of stem removal at revision, and humeral head placement independent from the humeral shaft axis. There are a number of short term cohorts that have shown low complication rates and outcomes similar to previous generations of stemmed humeral components. Longer term and better designed studies are needed in order for short stems and stemless components to become the standard of care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quincy Medical Group, 1118 Hampshire St, Quincy, IL, 62301, USA

    Luke Harmer

  2. Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    John W. Sperling

  3. University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic, 1211 Union Ave. Ste. 510, Memphis, TN, 38104, USA

    Thomas Throckmorton

Authors
  1. Luke Harmer
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  2. Thomas Throckmorton
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  3. John W. Sperling
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luke Harmer.

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Conflict of interest

Luke Harmer declares that he has no conflict of interest.

John Sperling has received royalties from Biomet outside the submitted work.

Thomas Q. Throckmorton received personal fees from Biomet during the conduct of the study. He also received personal fees from Biomet outside the submitted work.

Human and animal rights and informed consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Shoulder Arthroplasty

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Harmer, L., Throckmorton, T. & Sperling, J.W. Total shoulder arthroplasty: are the humeral components getting shorter?. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 9, 17–22 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-016-9313-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-016-9313-3

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