Cuff Tear Arthropathy: The Great Escape

The diagnosis, natural history, and management of cuff tear arthropathy continues to be a surgical conundrum for all orthopaedic surgeons. This difficult pathology requires an understanding of the etiology and biomechanics of the shoulder as well as a significant amount of comfort with the surgical treatment options, specifically the hemiarthroplasty and reverse total shoulder replacement. This is a review of the shoulder arthroplasty options and the treatment algorithm that we follow. We discuss surgical decision-making and techniques that result in our patients’ optimum results.

Keywords: cuff tear arthropathy, hemiarthroplasty, reverse total shoulder replacement, surgical technique