Novel 3-dimensionally printed patient-specific guide improves accuracy compared with standard total shoulder arthroplasty guide: a cadaveric study

BACKGROUND: Patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) systems for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can improve glenoid component placement, but may involve considerable expense and production delays. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel technique for in-house production of 3-dimensionally printed, patient-specific glenoid guides. We hypothesized that our PSI guide would improve the accuracy of glenoid guide pin placement compared with a standard TSA guide. METHODS: We randomized 20 cadaveric shoulders to receive pin placement via the PSI guide (n = 10, study group) or standard TSA guide (n = 10, control group). PSI guides were designed to fit each glenoid based on 3-dimensional scapular models constructed from computed tomography scans. A presurgical plan was created for the guide pin trajectory in neutral version and inclination based on individual scapular anatomy. After pin placement, 3-dimensional models from repeated computed tomography scans were superimposed to calculate deviation from the presurgical plan for each specimen. RESULTS: Inclination deviation was significantly lower in the PSI group than in the standard guide group (1.5° ± 1.6° vs. 6.4° ± 5.0°, P = .009). The glenoid entry site exhibited significantly less deviation in the PSI group (0.8 ± 0.6 mm vs. 2.1 ± 1.2 mm, P = .008). The average production cost and time for the PSI guides were $29.95 and 4 hours 40 minutes per guide, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The PSI guide significantly improved the accuracy of glenoid pin placement compared with the standard TSA guide. Our PSI guides can be produced in-house, inexpensively, and with substantially reduced time compared with commercially available guides.