Total Shoulder Replacement Specialist

What is total shoulder replacement?

Total shoulder replacement is a surgery that restores your damaged shoulder joint using artificial metal parts. While not as well-known as hip replacement and knee replacement, shoulder replacement is equally effective in relieving pain, stiffness, and range-of-motion restrictions.

A partial shoulder replacement replaces only the top of the humerus (the ball portion of your shoulder joint). A total shoulder replacement replaces both the top of the humerus and the glenoid (the socket that it fits into).

What conditions does total shoulder replacement treat?

When shoulder replacement was first performed in the 1950s, it was a procedure for severe shoulder fractures that wouldn’t heal. While still an effective solution for stubborn or complicated shoulder fractures, today, shoulder replacement is often done for other reasons, including:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Post-traumatic arthritis
• Rotator cuff arthropathy following a severe rotator cuff tear
• Avascular necrosis (bone death) 

It’s pretty unusual for shoulder replacements to fail. But in the event of implant shifting, infection, or other complications, some people will need a second shoulder replacement surgery.

How does total shoulder replacement work?

During a total shoulder replacement, your Ortho 1 Medical Group surgeon removes the top of the humerus and fits the new ball into place.

They’ll use bone cement if you have soft bone, but if you have strong bone, they could use a press-fit component that has holes for your bone to grow through. Your surgeon removes the surface of the glenoid and installs a new plastic socket using bone cement.

Your shoulder functions like a healthy joint with these new parts in place. After healing, you’ll be able to move without pain and do all the things you used to do before your natural shoulder joint gave out.

Am I a candidate for total shoulder replacement?

Ortho 1 Medical Group evaluates your needs carefully to determine if a total shoulder replacement is the best way to restore your shoulder. If you have long-standing shoulder pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving your arm, and nonsurgical treatments haven’t been successful, you could be a candidate for a total shoulder replacement.

If you have severe shoulder problems but still have healthy cartilage in your shoulder socket, Ortho 1 Medical Group might recommend a partial shoulder replacement.

You need healthy rotator cuff tendons to have a total shoulder replacement. If you have severe rotator cuff damage, an alternative approach called a reverse total shoulder replacement could work for you. A reverse total shoulder replacement reverses the positions of the ball and socket.

Call Ortho 1 Medical Group or book an appointment online to learn more about total shoulder replacement.