Experimental Validation of Computer-Simulated Glenoid Preparation for Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

The use of three-dimensional (3D) computer simulations for pre-operative planning of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) has greatly increased in the past decade [1,2]. These studies have primarily focused on optimizing glenoid resurfacing to elucidate the factors involved in glenoid loosening, the most common cause of TSA failure [3,4]. While finite element analyses have investigated the effects of glenoid resurfacing parameters such as implant placement and depth of reaming on the stresses associated with the glenoid/cement/implant construct, none have determined if their method for simulating glenoid surface preparation is physically representative or accurate. In TSA, the first step in glenoid resurfacing is reaming the glenoid surface in preparation for the placement of the glenoid implant. The purpose of this study was to validate the volume removed as determined by computer simulated reaming against the volume removed by ream of cadaveric scapulae.