Arthroscopic management of glenohumeral arthritis

Abstract

Patients suffering from glenohumeral arthritis present with pain and stiffness of shoulder. Joint replacement surgery is the treatment of choice for symptomatic elderly patients who do not benefit from conservative treatment. However, there is an occasional need for arthroscopic management for this condition because of relatively young age, high activity demand or preference of the patients. The current arthroscopic treatment options include: (1) arthroscopic lavage and debridement; (2) capsular release; (3) biological resurfacing of glenoid and (4) CAM (comprehensive arthroscopic management) procedure. Unfortunately, the use of arthroscopic technique in treating shoulder arthritis is not yet supported by evidence-based medicine and the result may be considered unpredictable with reference to pre-operative radiographic findings. Symptom relief is often incomplete and maybe transient in some cases. The rate of conversion to shoulder replacement can be as high as 13% within a period of one year after the index arthroscopic surgery.