Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: Evidence-Based Update

Course overview

Total shoulder arthroplasty has undergone dramatic evolution over the past decade, with expanding indications, refined surgical techniques, and evidence-based rehabilitation protocols that directly influence patient outcomes. Both anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty now represent gold-standard interventions for glenohumeral pathology, yet optimal patient selection, surgical decision-making, and postoperative rehabilitation remain areas of active clinical investigation and debate. Rehabilitation professionals including physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and allied health practitioners play a critical role in the perioperative continuum, from preoperative assessment and patient education through long-term functional restoration and complication prevention. This advanced-level continuing education course provides a comprehensive, evidence-based update on total shoulder arthroplasty rehabilitation, emphasizing contemporary clinical reasoning, protocol individualization, and management of complex patient populations. Participants will examine the nuanced decision-making processes that differentiate anatomic from reverse arthroplasty indications, analyze phased rehabilitation protocols with quantitative progression criteria, and develop strategies for managing high-risk populations including patients with diabetes, prior shoulder surgery, rotator cuff pathology, and multiple comorbidities. Through integration of case-based reasoning and clinical application scenarios, this course prepares advanced practitioners to deliver individualized, evidence-informed care that optimizes functional outcomes while minimizing complications across diverse patient presentations.