Total Shoulder Replacement

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint and can be a common area of joint pain. Treatment of shoulder pain may be recommended if you have arthritis in the shoulder, are unable work, sleep or enjoy physical activities due to the pain, and there is decreased range of motion in the shoulder.

These symptoms may also be accompanied by swelling and stiffness, instability or weakness, restricted motion of the shoulder.

The Total Joint and Spine Center offers treatment options for shoulder pain which include conservative treatments such as physical therapy, medication and injections.

If conservative options fail as a treatment for the pain, a total shoulder replacement or a reverse shoulder replacement may be recommended as a treatment option.

Total Shoulder Replacement is a surgical procedure in which the damaged bone is cut away and replaced with plastic and metal prosthesis. Part of the humerus is removed and replaced with a metal implant. This is shaped like a half-moon and attached to a stem inserted down the center of the arm bone. The socket portion of the joint is cut away and replaced with a plastic socket that is cemented into the shoulder blade.

Reverse Shoulder Replacement is performed in lieu of a total shoulder replacement when the patient has rotator cuff injury along with shoulder pain. The reverse shoulder replacement follows the same concept as the total joint replacement, but the ball is placed on the shoulder blade and the socket is placed on top of the humerus, the arm bone. This is the reverse of normal anatomy hence the name reverse shoulder replacement.