Measuring outcomes in shoulder arthroplasty.

No standard assessment for the patient with a shoulder arthroplasty has been universally accepted to date. Traditional assessment tools can be divided into three levels of resolution including: (1) assessments of the quality of life and general health, (2) global shoulder assessments, and (3) assessments for a particular disorder of the shoulder. In this article, examples of each of these groups are discussed. Each of these levels of sensitivity offers a different perspective on the outcome of shoulder arthroplasty and until the ideal, universal outcome measure is developed, outcomes should be reported using assessments in each of these levels.