title: Humeral head arthroplasty and its ability to restore original humeral head geometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Modern prosthetic components are designed to enable restoration of proximal humeral morphology, provided that a precise osteotomy of the humeral head at the level of the anatomic neck is performed. To determine whether a simulated osteotomy and replacement arthroplasty with an idealized implant were able to restore original head geometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A handheld digitizer and surface laser scanner were used to digitize 24 humeri. Computer models were used to simulate an osteotomy, performed at the anterior cartilage-metaphyseal interface, and reconstruct the head with a spherical prosthetic head. The head diameter, radius of curvature, and inclination and retroversion angles were calculated for each specimen and compared with the original humeral head.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The simulated osteotomy resulted in a 4.8° decrease in inclination (P < .01) and 11.3° increase in retroversion (P < .001). The radius of curvature in the coronal plane was not significantly different (P = .284). However, in the axial plane, the prosthesis was significantly larger than the original head for both head diameter (P < .001) and radius of curvature (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that the humeral head is not a perfect segment of a sphere and an osteotomy along the anterior cartilage-metaphyseal interface does not remove only the proximal humeral articular surface. Even with a fully adaptable prosthetic implant, replacement arthroplasty is not able to restore original head geometry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alterations to head geometry with the osteotomy described may alter the line of force through the prosthetic joint, producing eccentric loading at the glenoid, and contribute to early failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Dundee, Tayside Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Technology Centre, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, UK. fraserharrold@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Fraser
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harrold
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wigderowitz
mesh_terms: D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D010027:Osteotomy; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000601:surgery*