Functional assessment and quality of life of patients after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in the late follow-up period

BACKGROUND: Due to the systematically increasing number of shoulder replacement procedures among older people, the need to assess their quality of life is becoming more and more important. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to functionally assess the shoulder joint and the quality of life of patients before and after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA). METHODS: The observational study included 15 patients after the rTSA procedure (randomly selected). The quality of life and shoulder joint function before and after rTSA were assessed using the following scales: SF-36, Constant-Murley Score, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Scale (DASH) and the University of California-Los Angeles Shoulder Rating Scale (UCLA scale) and Simple Shoulder Test (SST). RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between measurements in the overall scores of the SF-36 questionnaire. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) were found between measurements in terms of the Constant-Murley, DASH, UCLA and SST scales results. CONCLUSIONS: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty significantly improved the patients' quality of life and the functional condition of the operated limb.