Osteoporosis Management for Shoulder Surgeons

The aim of this review is to aggregate currently available literature as it pertains to treating surgical shoulder pathology in patients with osteoporosis.

Emerging data surrounding perioperative use of anti-osteoporosis medications for patients undergoing shoulder surgery have not shown definitively favorable or unfavorable outcomes. Similar evaluations in animal studies have shown promising results as a biologic augment to tendon and bone healing, especially with newer, anabolic agents.

The mainstay of bone health management remains pre-operative evaluation, using opportunistic radiographic and CT based validated measurements, along with optimization of risk factors. Surgical techniques continue to incorporate implants that perform well in osteopenic bone. Promising pre-clinical studies have identified anabolic anti-osteoporosis medications as viable biologic augments to shoulder surgery, which has not been borne out in any clinical studies at this time.