New trends in shoulder arthroplasty

Shoulder arthroplasty has undergone an important evolution during the past ten years. Increasing knowledge of normal anatomy and biomechanics has hastened the development of a third generation of shoulder replacements, which will hopefully provide better results for longer time periods. The most important changes in shoulder prosthesis have been the development of systems that address the variability of head-shaft angles and humeral head offset. Improved glenoid components have also resulted from biomechanical and clinical study. The nature of these changes and their clinical significance will be the topic of this review. Lastly, a topic of increasing attention by shoulder surgeons is the condition of anterior and superior migration of the shoulder. This review will discuss the pathophysiology and new treatment options for this condition using arthroplasties.