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CASE REPORT article

Front. Surg.
Sec. Orthopedic Surgery
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2024.1433692

Case series: Custom made 3D implants for glenoid tumor reconstruction should be designed as reverse total shoulder arthroplasty

Provisionally accepted
Robin Evrard Robin Evrard 1,2*Antoine Ledoux Antoine Ledoux 2Pierre-Louis Docquier Pierre-Louis Docquier 1,2Florine Geenens Florine Geenens 3Thomas Schubert Thomas Schubert 1,2
  • 1 Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Neuro musculo-skeletal lab, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2 Department of orthopedic and trauma surgery, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Institut du Cancer Roi Albert II (IRA2), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
  • 3 Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background and objectives: Isolated bone tumors of the glenoid are exceedingly rare occurrence and pose a substantial surgical challenge. 3D printing technology has been proved to be a reliable tool to reconstruct complex anatomical part of the skeleton. We initially used this technology to reconstruct the glenoid component of the shoulder in a hemiarthroplasty configuration. We subsequently changed to a reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Methods: Two patients were reconstructed with a hemiarthroplasty and 2 with a reverse configuration. Patients files were reviewed for radiographic analysis, pain and function scores. Results: Mean follow-up was 36,44±16,27 months. All patients are alive and disease free. The two patients who benefitted from a hemiarthroplasty demonstrated a rapid deterioration of the proximal humeral articular surface. Given their pain and function scores, they subsequently required revision towards a total shoulder arthroplasty. Following this conversion, one patient presented a shoulder dislocation requiring surgical reintervention. We did not observe any loosening or infection in this short series. Conclusions: Custom made glenoid reconstruction should be designed as a reverse shoulder arthroplasty given the mechanical constrains on the proximal humerus and the extent of the surgery invariably damaging the suprascapular neurovascular bundle.

    Keywords: Glenoid, reconstruction, orthopedic oncology, Custom made, case series

    Received: 26 May 2024; Accepted: 30 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Evrard, Ledoux, Docquier, Geenens and Schubert. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Robin Evrard, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Neuro musculo-skeletal lab, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

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