Osteoporosis in the Setting of Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Patients who undergo shoulder surgery are frequently affected by osteoporosis and osteopenia, and the prevalence of this association is expected to increase due to the growing number of elderly individuals undergoing these procedures. It may be advisable to conduct a preoperative DXA scan for orthopedic surgical candidates at high risk, to detect those who could benefit from early intervention and avoid any related adverse events. Some of these complications include periprosthetic fractures, infection, subsequent fragility fractures, and have an all-cause revision arthroplasty at 2 years post-op. Some studies analyzed the beneficence of antiresorptive medications pre-operatively but the latter did not show favorable outcomes. Surgical management may include cementing components of the prosthesis as well as modifying the diameter of the shoulder stem. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of any intervention, whether medical or surgical, to avoid any shoulder arthroplasty related-complication that may be precipitated by the reduced bone mineral density.