Closed Suction Drainage in Shoulder Arthroplasty

The Utility of Closed Suction Drainage in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Prospective Analysis.

The purpose of this study is to determine the limited effectiveness of drains during Total Shoulder Arthroplasty. Drains are used during joint arthroplasty procedures to decrease infection rates, swelling,and the number of dressing changes required during a hospital stay. The use of drains has been heavily investigated in the hip and knee replacement literature, but there have been no investigations regarding their use in shoulder replacements, despite frequent use.

Clinical benefit has not been consistently documented regarding drain usage in hip and knee arthroplasty and the investigators hypothesize that they are of limited utility in total shoulder arthroplasty as well. The investigators will perform a prospective investigation of total shoulder arthroplasty patients- dividing them into two groups- half will receive a drain at the time of surgery and the other half will not be receiving a drain.

The use of closed-suction draining has been well studied in the hip and knee arthroplasty literature. Drains have been used with the intention of decreasing infection, ecchymoses, and frequency of dressing changes. Some have reported a corresponding decrease in hematocrit for patients receiving post-op drainage leading to increased transfusion needs. Given that no clinical benefit has been consistently documented regarding drain usage in knee and hip arthroplasty, they are no longer routinely used in those operations. The use of such drainage systems in shoulder arthroplasty, however, has not been studied and the benefit of drain use in regards to patient outcomes is questionable. As such, the study is a prospective investigation comparing outcomes in two groups of total shoulder arthroplasty patients, those receiving a drain at the time of surgery and those without a drain. The short-term outcome measurements include peri-operative hematocrit and hemoglobin, infection rate, hematoma development, transfusion requirement, ecchymosis and wound complication. Long-term outcomes include shoulder functional scores as measured by post-operative visits and any need for revision shoulder surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients diagnosed with Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty following trauma, failed prior surgery/revision or infection