What Are the Determinants for RTW After SA (RTW after SA)

What Are the Determinants for Return to Work After Shoulder Arthroplasty

Shoulder arthroplasty is becoming increasingly common, due to ageing of the population. Historically, surgeons have been reluctant to use a shoulder replacement in younger patients. During the last decades however, there was an improvement of surgical techniques and implants which resulted in the fact that these procedures are nowadays more frequently used in younger patients. Combined with the increasing life expectancy and the increased age of retirement, both elderly and younger patients hope to continue their jobs after prosthetic replacement.

Recent literature shows that the majority patients is able to resume their work following shoulder arthroplasty.

This study aims to analyze the RTW percentage in a Belgian cohort of patients with a shoulder replacement. This study hopes to identify factors that might influence the RTW.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Shoulder Arthroplasty
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Questionnaires

Detailed Description

Shoulder arthroplasty is becoming increasingly common, due to ageing of the population. Historically, surgeons have been reluctant to use a shoulder replacement in younger patients, due to the high incidence of complications and the limited longevity of the implant. Therefore, this type of surgery remained reserved for the elderly patients. During the last decades however, improvement of surgical techniques and implants have made it possible to expand the indications for anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA), humeral head hemi-arthroplasty (HHA) and reversed total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA), resulting in significant improvements in range of motion, functional outcomes, quality of life and reported pain scores. As a result, these procedures are nowadays more frequently used in younger patients. Combined with the increasing life expectancy and the increased age of retirement, both elderly and younger patients hope to continue their jobs after prosthetic replacement.

Recent literature shows that the majority patients is able to resume their work following shoulder arthroplasty.

This study aims to analyze the RTW percentage in a Belgian cohort of patients with a shoulder replacement. This study hopes to identify factors that might influence the RTW. An enhanced understanding of this social, medical and economic issue will enable surgeons to give more tailored advice to their patients regarding RTW after shoulder replacement surgery and accordingly reduce the economic burden on Belgian society.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 122

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Vlaams-Brabant
    • Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium, 3000
      • UZ Leuven

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Population of patients with a shoulder arthroplasty surgery between January 2010 and January 2022 at University Hospitals Leuven.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Current evidence suggests that no significant changes in functionality can be expected 2 years after surgery. Therefore, we will include patients who were operated between January 2010 and January 2022 at the University Hospital Leuven
• Patients ≥ 18 years old and ≤ 63 years old at time of surgery
• Implantation of an anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, humeral head hemi arthroplasty or reversed shoulder arthroplasty

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 and > 63 years at time of surgery
• Limited knowledge of Dutch

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Patients with shoulder arthroplasty; Including all surgical interventions (anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, humeral head hemi arthroplasty or reversed shoulder arthroplasty) for patients with shoulder arthroplasty

Procedure: Questionnaires; To assess the shoulder function, the following questionnaires will be used: The validated Dutch translation of the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) The validated Dutch translation of the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) The Subjective Shoulder Value (SVV) To assess the work ability patients will use the validated Dutch work-related questionnaire for upper extremity disorders (WORQ-UP)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Return to work	Collection how many of the study participants will return to work after a shoulder arthroplasty. This question is answered with yes or no.	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Type of shoulder arthroplasty	Collect how many participants received an anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA), reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) or humeral hemi-arthroplasty (HHA)	Baseline
SST (Dutch translation of the Simple Shoulder Test)	A questionnaire that contains 12 items to be answered by the patient independently: 2 about function related to pain, 7 about function/strength, and 3 about range of motion. Questions are answered by yes or no. A final score of 0 = worst and 12 = best. Scores are subsequently transformed by number of 'yes' items/ number of completed items x 100 = % 'yes' responses. A final score of 0= worst function and 100= best function.	Baseline
OSS (Oxford Shoulder Score)	A questionnaire that contains 12 items to be answered by the patient independently. There are 5 categories of response for every question, corresponding to a score ranging from 1 to 5. Scores are combined to give a single score, with a range from 12 (best) to 60 (worst). The questions deal with pain (degree, time point) and possible handicaps in private and professional life. It is divided 20/40 corresponding to pain/activities of daily living.	Baseline
Self-made questionnaire	A questionnaire where the participants is asked if they returned back to their jobs and if so how many months after surgery, what their job satisfaction is, if work-related adaptations were made by the employer to ease the return to work process, what their marital status and educational qualifications are.	Baseline
WORQ-UP (work-related questionnaire for upper extremity disorders)	A questionnaire used to identify self-reported difficulty performing common work-related tasks. It consists of 17 items.	Baseline
SSV (Subjective Shoulder Value)	Question to subjectively evaluate a patient's shoulder function. Which percentage do you give your shoulder. A normal shoulder is 100% and worst schoulder is 0%.	Baseline
Belgisch Kenniscentrum over welzijn op het werk (BeSWIC)	The participants' occupations is classified as light, medium, hard or very hard occupation	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Filip Verhaegen, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 13, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 27, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): March 27, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): February 28, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 29, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 24, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: S67346

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No