Background: The aim of this bibliographic review is to assess the results between the repair and non-repair of the subscapularis tendon in reverse shoulder arthroplasty, regarding range of motion and joint stability. 

 

Methods: Literature search performed in PUBMED using the QUERY “Reverse Shoulder arthroplasty” AND “subscapularis repair”, limited to January 1st, 2015 until 16 January 16th, 2021. The inclusion criteria were studies with adult patients submitted to reverse shoulder arthroplasty, comparing subscapularis repair or non-repair, and reporting range of motion and stability as an outcome. 

 

Results: Most of the studies did not find significant differences between the repair and the non-repair of the subscapularis for most of the assessed outcomes. However, lateralization or medialization of the centre of rotation of the prosthesis was identified as an important variable when not repairing the subscapularis, where lateralized prosthesis showed a decreased dislocation rate. 

 

Conclusion: Most studies did not find significant advantages in repairing the subscapularis when considering range of motion. When the subscapularis is not repaired, lateralized prosthesis may provide lower dislocations rates. There is not yet sufficient evidence to demonstrate the indication or contraindication for repair of the subscapular tendon. 

 

Keywords: Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty, Subscapularis Repair, Stability, Range Of Motion.