There are limited data how total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) improves shoulder function during activities of daily living (ADL). The hypothesis of this study was that the range of motion (ROM) in ADL gets back to normal after TSA.
We examined 13 patients before they received TSA for osteoarthritis and 6 months postoperatively with a 3D motion video analysis during 3 ADL and compared them with a control group without any shoulder pathology.
Comparing the TSA status preoperatively and postoperatively resulted in a significant increase of the mean values of the ROMs in the ADL in all planes (P < .05). When the postoperative ROM was compared with the controls, TSA was able to restore the ROM in all planes except for abduction in 2 of 3 ADL. The patients were not able to use their maximum active abduction during the course of the ADL.
TSA improves the ROM in ADL, but it cannot return completely to normal in abduction after 6 months.
This is not related to limitations of active or passive ROM but may be due to impaired proprioception or pathologic movement patterns, or both.