Convertible implants: Simplifying the revision from anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty

Modern shoulder arthroplasty techniques include hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). Out of all arthroplasty procedures, total shoulder arthroplasty produces more satisfactory outcomes for osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthropathy (Sanchez-Sotelo, 2011 [1]). As shoulder arthroplasty procedures continue to increase in popularity, so do revision surgeries (revision TSAs and revision RSAs). Implants used in shoulder arthroplasty procedures have been transformed substantially from generation to generation, going from 1st to 4th generation implants. We propose 5th generation convertible implants that enable a more patient-specific, anatomic reconstruction with the potential to solve major issues that exist with implants from previous years.