Designed and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Management of Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis
Patient Guideline Summary
Publication Date: March 23, 2020
Last Updated: March 3, 2023
Objective
Objective
This patient summary means to discuss key recommendations from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) for the Management of Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis. It is limited to adults 18 years of age and older and should not be used as a reference for children.
Overview
Overview
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, degenerative condition leading to pain and loss of joint function.
- There are no known causes for OA beyond ageing.
- Symptoms include pain and limitation of motion.
- This patient summary focuses on surgical management of osteoarthritis as it affects the shoulder joint.
Treatment
Treatment
- Hyaluronic acid does not improve surgical outcomes.
- Obesity does not increase complications after surgery.
- The sex of the patient does not affect the surgical outcome.
- Other medical conditions can increase the risk of surgical complications.
- Outcomes are better with total arthroplasty (complete joint repair) than with hemiarthroplasty (partial repair).
- Fewer revisions are required in older patients.
- Smoking raises the risk of a poor surgical outcome.
- Depression (sadness) raises the risk of a poor surgical outcome.
- Patients with higher shoulder function before surgery may note less functional improvement after surgery.
- Your doctor may recommend physical therapy after surgery.
- The use of these treatments cannot be recommended:
- injectable biologics, such as stem cells or platelet-rich plasma
- Dry needling
- Cannabis
- Cannabodiol (CBD) oil
- Capsaicin
- Shark cartilage
- Glucosamine and chondroitin
- Cupping
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
- Cold treatments may be used following surgery.
- Multimodal pain management is beneficial for pain relief following surgery.
- Opioids should not be prescribed for routine or long-term pain management.
- Several technical variations in the surgical procedure, medications, and pre-operative imaging have enough evidence to support recommendations for or against.
Abbreviations
- AAOS: American Academy Of Orthopedic Surgeons
- CBD: Cannabodiol
- OA: Osteoarthritis
- TENS: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Source Citation
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Management of Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. www.aaos.org/gjocpg. Published March 23, 2020.
Disclaimer
The information in this patient summary should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.