Hypothesis: Total shoulder arthroplasty has been used for over 50 years to treat glenohumeral arthritis. In recent years, one area of innovation has been the use of ceramic-bearing surfaces. The advantages of ceramic bearing surfaces include utility in stemless implants and hemiarthroplasty, where their use in hip arthroplasty has been shown to decrease wear rates compared to metal implants and potentially reduced revision rates. With interest in utilizing ceramics for other arthroplasty indications continuing to grow, the purpose of this systematic review is to consolidate recent clinical findings involving ceramic-bearing surfaces to determine their suitability for anatomic shoulder replacement.
Anatomic shoulder replacements using ceramic-bearing surfaces show safety and efficacy at numerous follow-up intervals, with complication rates approaching those of historical controls with metal implants. Future randomized controlled trials should be performed to investigate potential advantages compared to titanium and cobalt-chromium alloy humeral heads.
Level of evidence: Level IV; Systematic Review. Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.
Hypothesis: Total shoulder arthroplasty has been used for over 50 years to treat glenohumeral arthritis. In recent years, one area of innovation has been the use of ceramic-bearing surfaces. The advantages of ceramic bearing surfaces include utility in stemless implants and hemiarthroplasty, where their use in hip arthroplasty has been shown to decrease wear rates compared to metal implants and potentially reduced revision rates. With interest in utilizing ceramics for other arthroplasty indications continuing to grow, the purpose of this systematic review is to consolidate recent clinical findings involving ceramic-bearing surfaces to determine their suitability for anatomic shoulder replacement.
Anatomic shoulder replacements using ceramic-bearing surfaces show safety and efficacy at numerous follow-up intervals, with complication rates approaching those of historical controls with metal implants. Future randomized controlled trials should be performed to investigate potential advantages compared to titanium and cobalt-chromium alloy humeral heads.
Level of evidence: Level IV; Systematic Review. Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.