ORIGINAL PAPER The biomechanics of the supraspinatus-deficient shoulder treated with superior capsular reconstruction vs. reverse total shoulder arthroplasty—experimental study Danil Rybalko 1 & Aimee Bobko 1 & Farid Amirouche 1 & Dmitriy Peresada 1 & Awais Hussain 1 & Michael Patetta 1 & Anshum Sood 1 & Jason Koh 2 & Benjamin Goldberg 1 Received: 14 April 2020 /Accepted: 17 June 2020 # SICOT aisbl 2020 Abstract Aim of the study Our objective was to compare biomechanical effects of superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) on shoulder motion, in the setting of an irreparable supraspinatus (SS) tear. We hypothesized that rTSA would produce greater improvement in abduction force and shift the humerus inferiorly, while SCR would produce greater range of motion (ROM) and prevent superior migration of the humerus during abduction. Methods Six cadaveric shoulders were evaluated using a custom biomechanical apparatus. Each shoulder underwent four experimental conditions: (1) intact/control, (2) irreparable SS tear, (3) SCR using dermal allograft, and (4) rTSA without SCR. Deltoid abduction force, superior humeral head translation, and passive range of motion were measured in static tendon loading condition at 0, 30, and 60° of glenohumeral abduction. Results Both rTSA and SCR restored abduction force to intact levels at all abduction angles. rTSA significantly increased abduction force compared with the SS-deficient shoulder at 0, 30, 60° (p = 0.04), while SCR produced a significant increase at 0° (p = 0.05) abduction. rTSA inferiorly shifted the humeral head by 27 mm (p = 0.002). SCR restored superior humeral head translation to intact SS levels. Compared with SCR, rTSA resulted in 25° less passive abduction (p = 0.001) without significant differences in forward flexion/extension. Compared with SCR, rTSA achieved 10° less passive internal rotation at 0° abduction (p = 0.03) and 26° and 17° greater external rotation at 30° and 60° abduction, respectively (p = 0.03, p = 0.04). Discussion Our investigation found that abduction force was restored to intact cuff levels by both procedures, without significant differences between the two techniques. SCR restored superior humeral head migration and rTSA translated the humerus inferiorly. rTSA resulted in decreased passive abduction ROM and increased external rotation, compared with SCR. Conclusion Both SCR and rTSA restore key biomechanical parameters following an irreparable SS tear, although SCR offers superior passive abduction ROM. Keywords Superior capsule . Superior capsular reconstruction . Shoulder arthroplasty . Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty . Rotator cuff . Rotator cuff tear Introduction Massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears (RCTs) pose a chal- lenge for treating shoulder surgeons. Biomechanically, rotator cuff (RC) tendon damage disrupts coronal force coupling be- tween the supraspinatus (SS) and the deltoid. This impairs the ability of the SS to dynamically stabilize the humeral head within the glenoid [1], resulting in a compensatory increase of deltoid and RC muscle forces. Resultant joint instability and RC tendon damage lead to superior migration of the hu- meral head, further disrupting shoulder biomechanics. Clinically, these changes cause pain and decreased active * Dmitriy Peresada dperes2@uic.edu 1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott Ave, Rm, Chicago, IL 270, USA 2 Orthopaedic Surgery, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA International Orthopaedics https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-020-04674-y