Return to racket sports after shoulder arthroplasty: performance and outcome scores

Abstract

HypothesisTennis and other racket sports remain popular among active patients considering shoulder arthroplasty. While the ability to return to tennis following hip and knee arthroplasty has been previously studied, the capacity to participate following shoulder arthroplasty is less well known, especially following reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), which alters shoulder kinematics. The purpose of this study is to characterize the return to racket sports following both total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and RSA. The secondary objectives were to evaluate: 1) performance; 2) change in patient-reported outcome measures; 3) range of motion (ROM); and 4) satisfaction of patients who returned to racket sports after TSA. MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of 43 patients identified as playing a racket sport before undergoing either anatomic TSA or RSA. All patients were cleared to return to racket sports activities beginning 3 months following surgery. Patients were contacted by phone or email and a racket sport-specific questionnaire was administered, focusing on their experience returning to racket sports. The results following TSA were compared with those who received RSA. ResultsThe median age at surgery was 71 (66-75) years, with 26 TSA and 13 RSA patients. Of the 43 patients, 90% were able to return to sport, 4 (3 RSA, 1 TSA) stated that they were unable to return due to a shoulder-related complaint. Of the 39 patients still playing, 19 (49%) returned within 6 months and 33 (85%) returned within 12 months, with no differences among cohorts (P = .344). Overall perceived performance following surgery stayed the same or improved in 90% of the patients. Similarly, overall enjoyment of racket sports either improved or stayed the same in 98% of patients. Pain experienced during sport improved significantly from a median Visual Analogy Scale pain score of 5-0 (P < .001) with no significant difference seen when comparing RSA and TSA. The dominant arm was treated in 14 (54%) TSA and 8 (62%) RSA patients with minimal impact on outcomes. ConclusionReturn to racket sports following both reverse and anatomic TSA is a realistic expectation, along with significant improvements in both pain and sport-specific function while playing. Patients treated with anatomic and RSA can expect similar recovery and racket sport experiences following surgery, with no significant differences between either surgery.