How Shoulder Replacement Changes Bone Mineral Density

How shoulder replacement changes bone mineral density

Driven by the potential advantages of preserving bone stock and easier implant removal during revision surgery, the use of cementless short-stem implants in shoulder arthroplasty has increased in recent years. Despite this, joint replacement procedures outside the shoulder have reported postoperative bone loss in studies using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to measure bone density.

Bone density after reverse shoulder arthroplasty declines over time

Driven by the potential advantages in bone stock preservation and easier implant removal during revision surgery, the use of cementless short-stem implants in shoulder arthroplasty has increased in recent years.

Shoulders Bear the Brunt of Changes in Bone Mineral Density

A new study from Osaka Metropolitan University is drawing attention to an overlooked consequence of shoulder replacement surgery: the gradual loss of bone surrounding the implant. Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA, researchers tracked changes in bone mineral density around shoulder implants for two years and found that the pattern of bone loss differed sharply between two major procedures. The findings suggest that patients undergo…