Outcomes of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty for Instability Arthropathy with a Prior Coracoid Transfer Procedure: A Retrospective Review and Comparative Cohort

Background Many surgeons are concerned about reports of increased complications, worse outcomes, and early failures in patients undergoing anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty after coracoid transfer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate minimum 2-year outcomes following anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty for instability arthropathy with a prior coracoid transfer procedure and compare them with a matched cohort of patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis. Methods We identified 11 primary anatomic total shoulder arthroplasties performed by a single surgeon for instability arthropathy with a prior coracoid transfer procedure with a minimum of 2 years' follow-up (mean, 58 ± 35 months). A matched cohort of 33 patients with a total shoulder arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis served as the control group. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, patient satisfaction, complications, and revisions were evaluated in both cohorts. Results The coracoid transfer cohort showed no difference in the final ASES score (88 vs. 82, P = .166) or SANE score (85 vs. 67, P = .120) vs. the matched cohort. The postoperative ASES pain score (45 vs. 41, P = .004) was higher in the coracoid transfer cohort, but the mean improvement from preoperative to postoperative values for the ASES score (P = .954), ASES pain score (P = .183), and SANE score (P = .293) was no different between cohorts. Both cohorts had high patient satisfaction without a statistically significant difference (P = .784). Conclusion At early- to mid-term follow-up, total shoulder arthroplasty performed after a coracoid transfer demonstrated similar results to total shoulder arthroplasty performed for primary osteoarthritis. Longer follow-up and larger patient cohorts will provide further insights and highlight any potential differences in outcomes or revision rates.