Bipolar shoulder arthroplasty for painful conditions of the shoulder.

Between April 1991 and March 1997, 182 bipolar shoulder replacements were implanted in 174 patients (8 bilateral) for painful conditions of the shoulder. The study group comprises 108 patients who were followed for an average of 2.9 years (range, 2-6 years). Diagnoses included osteoarthritis (51), rotator cuff arthropathy (27), avascular necrosis (3), revisions (8), rheumatoid arthritis (2), and fractures--both old and recent (17). A satisfactory rating (University of California at Los Angeles shoulder rating score greater than or equal to 28 points of 35) was achieved by 72% of the patients (including rotator cuff arthropathy patients). Patients with osteoarthritis obtained 90.2% of satisfactory results (46 of 51). The overall pain score after surgery was 8.8 points (of 10), meaning that none or occasional pain was present. Five patients required prosthetic revision, and 102 (94.4%) were satisfied with the surgical procedure.