Shoulder Surgery & Replacement
Because the shoulder has a wider range of motion than other joints, it is more vulnerable to different types of injury. Shoulder pain, weakness and stiffness that aren’t sufficiently relieved by anti-inflammatory medications, injections or physical therapy can be treated with surgery, including rotator cuff repair, bone spur removal, ligament repair, removal of detached cartilage, labrum removal or repair, shoulder dislocation treatment and damaged biceps tendon repair. The type of surgery you may need depends on your injury and what you and your surgeon decide would be most beneficial in your case.
Shoulder Replacement
Shoulder joint replacement utilizes titanium and ceramic prostheses and plastic joint liners to replace the damaged parts of the shoulder joint and restore normal, healthy function. Shoulder replacement comes with a variety of options, so you and your surgeon should review them to decide which is most appropriate for your particular case. Total shoulder replacement typically involves replacing the damaged glenoid socket with a plastic prosthesis, and installing a medical-grade metal ball that rotates smoothly in and around the new socket.
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
If damage to the rotator cuff tendon is combined with arthritis and is too severe to be repaired, you may be a candidate for a reverse total shoulder replacement, which replaces damaged areas of and around the rotator cuff tendon.
Partial Shoulder Replacement
When the glenoid socket is intact and functioning properly, only the ball, medically known as the humeral head, needs to be replaced.
Arthroscopy
With arthroscopic surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon makes a small incision to allow the insertion of an arthroscope, a narrow tube-shaped instrument connected to a video camera that highlights the structures within the shoulder so your surgeon can examine the damage on a video screen. Once the damage has been assessed, arthroscopy can be used to repair cartilage tears and/or deterioration and ligament damage, and to remove bone or cartilage fragments, foreign material or inflamed tissue, and to perform biopsies. Arthroscopic surgery typically involves less pain, trauma, infection risk and recovery time than traditional surgery, and is frequently done as an outpatient procedure.
Rotator Cuff Surgery
When total or partial joint replacement is not needed, you and your surgeon may decide that an arthroscopic tissue graft to reinforce and stabilize damaged rotator cuff tissues is the best option.
Rotator Cuff Impingement, Tendinitis & Bursitis
Shoulder pain due to irritated or damaged tendons (tendinitis), inflammation of the tiny sacs in the shoulder known as the bursa (bursitis), or nerve impingement, which causes pain or weakness when you lift your arm to shoulder height, can usually be effectively treated using medication and physical therapy. If those options prove insufficient, arthroscopic surgery may be indicated to examine the cause of pain and remove/repair injured, inflamed or detached tissues.