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Background: Patients with limited health literacy (LHL) may have difficulty understanding and acting on medical information, placing them at risk for potential misuse of health services and adverse outcomes. The purposes of our study were to determine (1) the prevalence of LHL in patients undergoing inpatient shoulder arthroplasty, (2) the association of LHL with the degree of preoperative symptom intensity and magnitude of limitations, (3) and the effects of LHL on perioperative outcomes including postoperative length of stay (LOS), total inpatient costs, and inpatient opioid consumption., Methods: We retrospectively identified 230 patients who underwent elective inpatient reverse or anatomic shoulder arthroplasty between January 2018 and May 2021 from a prospectively maintained single-surgeon registry. The health literacy of each patient was assessed preoperatively using the validated 4-item Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool. Patients with a Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool score ≤ 17 were categorized as having LHL. The outcomes of interest were preoperative patient-reported outcome scores and range of motion, LOS, total postoperative inpatient opioid consumption, and total inpatient costs as calculated using time-driven activity-based costing methodology. Univariate analysis was performed to determine associations between LHL and patient characteristics, as well as the outcomes of interest. Multivariable linear regression modeling was used to determine the association between LHL and LOS while controlling for potentially confounding variables., Results: Overall, 58 patients (25.2%) were classified as having LHL. Prior to surgery, these patients had significantly higher rates of opioid use (P = .002), more self-reported allergies (P = .007), and worse American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (P = .001), visual analog scale pain scores (P = .020), forward elevation (P < .001), and external rotation (P = .022) but did not significantly differ in terms of any additional demographic or clinical characteristics (P > .05). Patients with LHL had a significantly longer LOS (1.84 ± 0.92 days vs. 1.57 ± 0.58 days, P = .012) but did not differ in terms of total hospitalization costs (P = .65) or total inpatient opioid consumption (P = .721). On multivariable analysis, LHL was independently predictive of a significantly longer LOS (β, 0.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.42; P = .035)., Conclusion: LHL is commonplace among patients undergoing elective shoulder arthroplasty and is associated with greater preoperative symptom severity and activity intolerance. Its association with longer hospitalizations suggests that health literacy is an important factor to consider for postoperative disposition planning., (Copyright © 2022 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), subscapularis repair is essential for shoulder stability and function postoperatively; however, the role of subscapularis repair in reverse TSA remains unclear. Some evidence suggests that subscapularis repair is associated with improved postoperative stability and range of motion, whereas other evidence indicates that repair is unnecessary and has no effect on clinical outcomes. In this review, we will analyze the existing literature addressing subscapularis repair during reverse TSA and discuss the effect of medialized and lateralized prosthesis designs on the utility of tendon repair., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) continues to see tremendous growth as the indications have expanded. A variety of complications have been described, including fractures of the acromion or scapular spine. These fractures are painful and can compromise shoulder stability and functional outcomes following RSA. Multiple studies have recently investigated the incidence, risk factors, and treatment strategies for these injuries. In this article, the authors review current literature and discuss the incidence, cause, associated risk factors, treatment options, and outcomes following fractures of the acromion or scapular spine after RSA., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)