Stemmed versus stemless total shoulder arthroplasty: a preliminary report and short-term results

19 patients with osteoarthritis of the humeral head and scheduled for total shoulder arthroplasty were randomized to have either a stemmed or stemless humeral component implanted. Only patients with sufficient bone stock were considered for inclusion. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the stemmed and stemless prosthesis compared with respect to function and radiological results. Follow-up was performed at 2 years postoperatively. At 2 years, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in function and shoulder range of motion from preoperative values, without significant difference in outcome between groups.