Humeral Head Height: Getting it Right

Total shoulder arthroplasties continue to be implanted at an increasing rate. Both patient function and implant longevity are maximized by the reproduction of the patient's natural anatomy. One of the more troublesome areas of total shoulder arthroplasty is that of appropriate humeral head positioning. While much attention has been devoted to proper version, equally important is proper head height. We review key concepts and intraoperative evaluation of proper humeral head height. With attention to these principles, excellent clinical results may be obtained.