BACKGROUND Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has proved to be a highly effective treatment for rotator cuff-deficient conditions and other end-stage shoulder pathologies. With value-based care emerging, identifying predictive factors of outcomes is of great interest. Although preoperative opioid use has been shown to predict inferior outcomes after anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty and rotator cuff repair, there is a paucity of data regarding its effect on outcomes after RTSA. We analyzed a series of RTSAs to determine the influence of preoperative opioid use on clinical and radiographic outcomes at a minimum of 2 years' follow-up. METHODS A retrospective review of primary RTSA patient data revealed 264 patients with ≥2 years of clinical and radiographic follow-up. Patients were classified as preoperative opioid users (71 patients) if they had taken narcotic pain medication for a minimum of 3 months prior to surgery or as opioid naive (193 patients) at the time of surgery. Assessments included preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale pain scores, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores, strength, and range of motion, as well as complications and revisions. Radiographs were analyzed for signs of loosening or mechanical failure. The Mann-Whitney U and Fisher exact tests were used for comparisons between groups. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS The mean patient age was 69.9 years, and the mean follow-up time was 2.8 years. Opioid users were significantly younger (66.1 years vs. 70.7 years, P < .001) at the time of surgery and had significantly higher preoperative rates of mood disorders, chronic pain disorders, and disability status (all P < .05). Postoperatively, opioid users had inferior visual analog scale pain scores (2.59 vs. 1.25, P < .001), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (63.2 vs. 75.2, P < .001), active forward elevation (P < .001), and internal and external rotational shoulder strength (all P < .05) compared with opioid-naive patients. Periprosthetic radiolucency (8.45% vs. 2.07%, P = .026) and subsequent revision arthroplasty (14.1% vs. 4.66%, P = .014) occurred more frequently in opioid users than in opioid-naive patients. Both groups improved from baseline preoperatively to most recent follow-up in terms of functional outcomes and pain. CONCLUSION Preoperative opioid use portended markedly inferior clinical outcomes in patients undergoing RTSA. Additionally, opioid users had significantly increased rates of periprosthetic radiolucency and revision. Preoperative opioid use appears to be a significant marker for adverse outcomes after RTSA.
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