Shoulder Joint Replacement

There are two types of shoulder joint replacements; the conventional Total Shoulder Replacement surgery which has been around since 1950 in the United States and the Reverse Shoulder Joint Replacement Surgery which was approved by the FDA in 2004 and is used when the rotary cuff is also damaged. The goals of both shoulder replacement surgeries are to lessen pain and improve motion, strength and function. These shoulder replacements should last approximately 15 years.

 

The Surgeries

The Total Shoulder Replacement surgery is where the shoulder blade socket is replaced with a plastic socket and a metal ball replaces the ball at the top of the arm bone.  The Reverse Shoulder replacement surgery reverses this and put the metal ball on the top of the shoulder blade and the plastic socket at the top of the arm bone.  This allows the deltoid muscle to raise the arm instead of the weakened rotator cuff muscle. The surgeries take approximately two to three hours and are usually done under a general anesthesia.

After Surgery

Prior to surgery it is a good idea to see a physical therapist to receive some exercises to strengthen the muscles around the joint. Your hospital stay will be short, only 2-3 days. After surgery you will need to wear a sling to minimize movement for a few weeks. Your physical therapy will continue starting with range of motion exercises as the soft tissue heals and then you will gradually move on to strengthening exercises for your shoulder muscles.   Depending on the type of work you do you may need to take up to six months off to recover. Someone working in an office most likely can return to work after 2-3 months recuperation, where as a construction work would not be able to return to work until after 6 months of recuperation. It will take approximately six months before your shoulder will have completely recovered and the pain subsided. You will gain back most of your range of motion but not all.

Complications

Complications are rare but could include the following:  

• Unexpected reaction to the anesthetic
• Infection
• Excessive bleeding or developing a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg
• Shoulder instability
• Tearing of the rotator cuff
• Fracture and loosening of the prosthesis
• Injury to nerves and blood vessels

Shoulder Joint Replacements surgeries are not preformed as often as hip and knee surgeries as they are not weight bearing joints, so they do not deteriorate as fast. Also, the majority of people are not aware that shoulder joint replacement is possible.