Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Delta Ⅲ is a novel reversed prosthesis for the shoulder. It inverts standard techniques for cuff tears, and supplements the concept used for revision surgery after previous failure of hemi- or total arthroplasty for shoulder joints.
OBJECTIVE: To introduce the new concept of mechanism, components, operative techniques and common complications of Delta III prosthesis in clinical settings, to provide a reference for clinical practice.
METHODS: A computer-based online search of Pubmed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed) and matrise orthopedie (http://www.maitrise-orthopedie.fr) was performed for articles published between 1991 and 2010 with key words “reverse shoulder arthroplasty, Grammont shoulder, Delta shoulder”. Chinese articles were not included. Repetitive articles were excluded. A total of 177 articles were collected and 31 were analyzed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Delta Ⅲ prosthesis included humerus and glenoid cavity ends. Delta Ⅲ reverse shoulder arthroplasty could obviously relieve pain and improve range of motion, particularly on abduction, but it seems to have no further effect on rotations. Satisfaction is quite good, but the trouble exists at a high rate of scapular notching and dislocation, which results in revision. The value and its benefits are required to be evaluated in domestic clinical practice.