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RecruitingNCT03839758PITSAUpdated Sep 22, 2025

Study of Personalized Instrument in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty The P.I.T.S.A. Study

An interventional study of TSA standard and RTSA standard in Shoulder Arthritis, sponsored by Université de Montréal. Recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 99 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-22.

Sponsored by Université de Montréal · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Oct 2019; still recruiting 7 years 1 month later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
112
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 99 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Total shoulder arthroplasty is an effective procedure to improve patients function and to relieve shoulder pain in cases of glenohumeral arthritis. The main challenge of this procedure is implanting the glenoid component. Indeed, surgical exposure is difficult and proper visualization of the glenoid is demanding. The current free-hand method is not precise and especially unreliable in glenoids with severe deformity. Inappropriate reaming and glenoid positioning can cause more bone loss during surgery.

In anatomic prostheses, glenoid component fixation is demanding and is the first component to present loosening at long term follow-up. When it comes to reverse arthroplasty, the glenoid component, once again, requires the most attention. Malpositioning of the glenosphere can cause notching, loosening, and instability.

In order to prevent these complications, precision in glenoid implantation is key. To this end, intraoperative computer navigation would be a helpful tool, but the increased expenses in computer equipment represent massive costs and possibly increases in surgical time. A more affordable option is a personalized guide, for which the only extra expense is the customized guide. These guides are based on precise 3D CT scan templates. Previous studies have evaluated the precision of the guide in vivo and in vitro, but none have measured it in a randomized study. As it represents additional costs, its efficacy needs to be proven before widespread use.

This method may also provide secondary benefits, such as decreasing operating time, lowering short- and long-term complications, and improving efficacy.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of a patient specific glenoid guide.

Read the detailed description

All participants scheduled for elective primary total shoulder arthroplasty will be contacted by a research assistant. Preoperative status will be characterized by demographic data, range of motion, quality of life, and functional status. A CT Scan and x-rays are part of standard preoperative care and always done prior to total shoulder replacement in our institution; these images will be collected for the study. Patients will be randomized to one of the two groups:

  1. Patient-specific glenoid guide group: Glenoid preparation will be done using the personalized guide provided by Wright-Tornier. This guide will be ordered after CT-scan measurement, using Blueprint software prior to surgery.
  2. Classic method group: Glenoid preparation will be done following surgeon evaluation of the 2D CT scan with the institution software. Generic guides included in the regular instrumentation set will be used.

The investigators will use the classification proposed by Iannotti et al. to characterize glenoid bone loss prior to surgery. Glenoid bone density will be measured using radiology software (Hounsfield units). Blueprint software will be used to measure the preoperative anatomical characteristics of the glenoid: surface area, version, inclination and subluxation. This will be done prior to surgery in the patient specific group and after surgery in the classic group.

02

Conditions studied

  • Shoulder Arthritis

Keywords

  • Prothesis
  • Glenoid implantation
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Université de Montréal is the lead sponsor of 98 studies on the registry; 11 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 99 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with shoulder osteaoarthritis and AVN

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with previous shoulder arthroplasty
  • Patients with inflammatory arthritis and tumor
  • Patients with previous shoulder surgery with metal implant
  • Patients refusing 2-year follow-up
  • Patients that does not speak English or French
  • Patients with current or previous shoulder infection
  • Patients with graft during surgery
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
112 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    TSA Standard

    This group will include patients schedule for a total shoulder arthroplasty. Glenoid preparation will be done following surgeon evaluation of the 2D CT scan with the institution software. Generic guides included in the regular instrumentation set will be used

    Procedure: TSA standard

  • Active comparator
    RTSA standard

    This group will include patients schedule for a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Glenoid preparation will be done following surgeon evaluation of the 2D CT scan with the institution software. Generic guides included in the regular instrumentation set will be used

    Procedure: RTSA standard

  • Experimental
    TSA blueprint

    This group will include patients schedule for a total shoulder arthroplasty. Glenoid preparation will be done using the personalized guide provided by Wright-Tornier. This guide will be ordered after CT-scan measurement, using Blueprint software prior to surgery.

    Procedure: TSA Blueprint

  • Experimental
    RTSA blueprint

    This group will include patients schedule for a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Glenoid preparation will be done using the personalized guide provided by Wright-Tornier. This guide will be ordered after CT-scan measurement, using Blueprint software prior to surgery.

    Procedure: RTSA Blueprint

Interventions

  • ProcedureTSA standard

    Glenoid preparation will be done with 2D CT-Scan

  • ProcedureRTSA standard

    Glenoid preparation will be done with 2D CT-Scan

  • ProcedureTSA Blueprint

    Glenoid preparation will be done with Blueprint software

  • ProcedureRTSA Blueprint

    Glenoid preparation will be done with 2D CT-Scan

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Radiological evaluation 1

    Comparing the precision of the glenoid implantation during the surgery between both group

    Time frame: 2 weeks post-op

Secondary outcomes

  1. Radiological evaluation 2

    Comparaison of the glenoid fixation durong the surgery, between both group

    Time frame: 2 years

  2. Glenoid bone loss

    Comparaison of the glenoid bone loss between both group

    Time frame: At surgery

  3. Surgical time

    Comparaison og the surgery time between both group

    Time frame: At surgery

  4. Blood test

    Evaluation of the glenoid quality with nutritional status

    Time frame: Before surgery

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 22, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03839758
Lead sponsor
Université de Montréal
Responsible party
Dominique Rouleau (Orthopaedic surgeon, Université de Montréal) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 15, 2019
Start date
Oct 8, 2019
Primary completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 22, 2025

Study contacts

Dominique Rouleau, MD
Contact
dominique_rouleau@yahoo.ca
514-338-2222 ext. 2050
Karine Tardif
Contact
karinetardif2@gmail.com
514-338-2222 ext. 3464
Dominique Rouleau, MD
principal investigator · Université de Montréal

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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