Return to Work after Shoulder Replacement for Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis is Similar when Hemiarthroplasty is Compared to Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Background Return to work after shoulder arthroplasty for glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA) is an important consideration for an aging workforce. Questions/Purposes The aim of this study was to compare the shoulder function, pain levels, and rate of return to work in patients treated with anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) versus humeral hemiarthroplasty (HHA). Methods A retrospective review of consecutive HHA patients was performed of our institution's shoulder arthroplasty registry. Inclusion criteria were pre-operative diagnosis of end-stage OA and more than 2 years’ follow-up. HHA patients were statistically matched to aTSA patients and then screened for pre-operative work status; 26 HHA and 23 aTSA patients worked before surgery. There was no difference in average age (HHA, 62.4 years; aTSA, 61.7 years) or follow-up (HHA, 67.5 months; aTSA, 66.9 months). Results Average American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores (HHA, 37.6 to 70.3; aTSA, 35.6 to 80.1) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain scores (HHA, 6.1 to 2.3; aTSA, 6.5 to 0.6) improved in both groups. However, HHA patients had worse final VAS scores, and aTSA patients were more satisfied (100% vs 77%); 61.5% of HHA patients returned to work post-operatively versus 87.0% of aTSA patients. There was no difference in time to return to work (HHA, 1.9 ± 2.3 months; aTSA, 1.3 ± 1.0 months). Conclusion Patients with shoulder OA undergoing aTSA have higher rates of return to work, function, and satisfaction than those undergoing HHA.