The study of 2-dimensional computed tomography scans of the glenoid anatomy in relation to reverse shoulder arthroplasty in the Southern Chinese population

BACKGROUND: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty is becoming an increasingly common surgical procedure in Hong Kong, as well as in many other countries worldwide. The aim of this study is to describe the glenoid anatomy in the Southern Chinese population. We are interested to know whether commercially available glenoid implants are suitable for this population and whether there are any steps or precautions we can take during surgery to optimize the clinical outcome for these patients. METHOD: A total of 244 shoulders of Southern Chinese patients were analyzed using 2-dimensional computed tomography, formatted to align along the scapular axis. The anatomic parameters analyzed included the shape, axial configuration, maximum width, maximum height, version, and presence of bone defect. RESULTS: In our study, 76.6% of glenoids were pear-shaped, 23.0% were elliptical, and only 0.4% were inverted pear in shape. Of all glenoids, 95.1% of glenoids had posterior-prominent axial configuration, whereas 4.9% had neutral axial configuration. The mean maximum glenoid height for both genders was 33.8 mm, whereas the mean maximum glenoid height was 32.2 mm for women and 36.6 mm for men. The mean maximum glenoid width for both genders was 25.8 mm, whereas the mean maximum glenoid width was 24.8 mm for women and 27.3 mm for men. The differences in measurements between genders were statistically significant. Of all glenoids, 46.3% of the glenoids were retroverted, whereas 53.7% of the glenoids were anteverted. The mean version for both genders was 0.77 degrees anteversion. The mean version was 1.16 degrees anteversion for women and 0.10 degrees anteversion for men. Of the 244 glenoids, 4 had bone defects. In our study, 39.8% of patients had mean maximum glenoid widths that were less than 25 mm, which is the smallest size available for most conventional glenoid baseplates. CONCLUSION: A significant portion of the Southern Chinese population has glenoid widths that are smaller than the smallest commercially available glenoid baseplates. Understanding the glenoid anatomy is crucial in the case of reverse shoulder arthroplasty, as it has significant implications in implant design, operative planning, and surgical outcomes.