Hatzidakis, J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2026 - Quality and Rate of Recovery after Simpliciti Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty and Tornier Pyrocarbon Hemiarthroplasty: A Propensity Score‑Matched Comparative Study

Quality and Rate of Recovery after Simpliciti Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty and Tornier Pyrocarbon Hemiarthroplasty: A Propensity Score‑Matched Comparative Study

Hatzidakis, Tashjian, et al.·J Shoulder Elbow Surg·2026·0 citations·Retrospective cohort

Background

Simpliciti anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) and Tornier Pyrocarbon hemiarthroplasty (PyroC-HA) have been used with predictable benefit for the treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis (GHOA). The purpose of this study was to compare the rate of recovery and 2-year clinical outcomes in a matched group of patients undergoing these procedures.

Methods

Prospectively collected pre-operative, 3-month, 6-month, and 24-month data were obtained from 2 Investigational Device Exemption studies evaluating the outcomes of patients who underwent stemless aTSA or PyroC-HA (n = 157 each).
A 1:1 propensity-score match was performed based on gender, age, body mass index, diagnosis, glenoid morphology, baseline American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and adjusted Constant scores.
74 patients were identified for each cohort with no significant differences in covariates (all P ≥ .103).
Final outcome, change from baseline, and number of patients meeting the Minimal Clinically Important Difference were evaluated for ASES score, total Constant, Constant strength, and pain score (0-10 scale).

Results

At baseline, each cohort (n = 74) included 63 males (85%), and the primary diagnosis was GHOA in all patients.
The average age of the aTSA cohort was 60.8 ± 7.3 years and 58.9 ± 6.6 years in the PyroC-HA cohort (P = .103).
Walch A1 was the most prevalent glenoid type in both cohorts (38% of aTSA patients and 45% of PyroC-HA).
At 2 years, there were 68 aTSA patients and 71 PyroC-HA patients included in the analysis.
No significant differences in ASES scores were noted at any timepoint except for the 6-month score, which favored aTSA (83.5 points vs. 77.5, P = .031).
Average total Constant scores were not significantly different at any compared timepoint.
There was a less than 1 point difference in pain between aTSA and PyroC-HA which was statistically significant at the 6-month and 24-month timepoints, with aTSA reporting an average pain level of 1.1 ± 1.5 compared to 1.8 ± 2.0 (P = .018) at 6 months and 0.45 ± 0.95 vs. 1.06 ± 1.84 at 24 months (P = .016).
A statistically equivalent percentage of patients from each group achieved the Minimal Clinically Important Difference for ASES, Constant, and pain scores.

Conclusions

Simpliciti aTSA and Tornier PyroC-HA are effective surgical treatments for younger patients with GHOA with similar outcomes at short-term follow-up. This study demonstrated that patients experienced similar recoveries and nearly identical 2-year outcomes, with the exception of a statistically significant, less than 1 point difference in pain at 24 months post-operatively.

Supplemental

Quality and Rate of Recovery after Simpliciti Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty and Tornier Pyrocarbon Hemiarthroplasty: A Propensity Score‑Matched Comparative Study.

Hatzidakis, Tashjian, et al.J Shoulder Elbow Surg20260 citationsRetrospective cohort