Editorial Commentary: Does the Scope Have a Role in Painful Shoulder Arthroplasty?

Abstract

Arthroscopy is a powerful tool in the management of the painful total shoulder arthroplasty and should be considered when evaluating cases in which a clear cause of pain is not present. Patients may present with a painful shoulder arthroplasty due to a number of causes-occult infection, instability, component loosening, malposition, or rotator cuff pathology. In certain cases, advanced imaging may not be diagnostic, given the presence of metal artifact. It is our routine clinical practice to evaluate arthroscopically such cases in which the diagnosis is not readily evident. The most common indication for shoulder arthroscopy is pain with no clear cause or loss of motion (39%), followed by biopsy to rule out occult infection (25%), and finally rotator cuff assessment (19%).