Complications and revision rates after total shoulder arthroplasty are similar between patients with and without diabetes mellitus

Purpose: There is wide variability in the conclusions of studies examining the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on outcomes of shoulder arthroplasty (SA). The objective of this study was to determine if there are differences in complication profiles between patients with DM and those without undergoing anatomic and reverse total SA.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing SA in a single center from January 2014 to December 2019 was performed. Patients were then stratified into two cohorts, patients with controlled DM (mean hemoglobin A1C < 7%) and those without. Outcomes analyzed included intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and revision surgery rates. Emergency department (ED) visits and hospital readmissions within 30 days were also recorded.

Results: A total of 595 patients underwent SA. No significant difference was found between the diabetes (n = 151) and control group (n = 444) with regard to length of stay (P = .168), complications (P = .286), infection rate (P = .977), 30-day ED visits (P = .789), and readmissions (P = .230). The average time to revision was 26.8 months in the diabetes group and 26.6 months in the control group (P = .989).

Conclusions: Following SA patients with controlled DM showed no increased risk of postoperative infection, ED visitation,hospital readmission, and revision surgery rate when compared to non-diabetics.

Level of evidence: Level III-retrospective cohort.