Shoulder arthroplasty for post-traumatic osteonecrosis of the humeral head

Background Osteonecrosis (ON) of the humeral head is a known complication of proximal humeral trauma. Prosthetic replacement may be the last option to treat the associated pain. Depending on the condition of the glenoid, hemiarthroplasty (HA) or total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can be considered. To date, the peer reviewed literature offers limited direction on the better treatment for this population. Methods Between 1973 and 2010, 93 arthroplasties were performed for post-traumatic ON of the humeral head after conservative treatments failed. Of these, 37 HAs and 46 TSAs were monitored for a minimum of 2 years (mean, 8.9 years) or until reoperation. Results The HA and TSA groups showed improvements in pain ( P