Abstract
Humeral component failure in total shoulder arthroplasty has been rare with contemporary design systems. Are stemless implant designs superior to contemporary short-stem humeral component technologies? This presentation will provide information to address this question.
Stemless technology became available in Europe and other parts of the world in 2004 and 2005 compared to only recently in the United States of America. Short-stem designs have developed with third generation implant systems.
Advantages of short-stem implant designs include the following: the humeral canal facilitates proper head component position; modularity between the stem and head allows for modifications of version, inclination and offset to match the native anatomy and these designs are convertible for easier revision.
This debate will demonstrate that short-stem implant designs provide the surgeon with more versatility to provide our patients with the best outcomes.
