Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Total shoulder replacement is a highly successful procedure to reduce pain and restore mobility in patients with end-stage shoulder arthritis and, in some cases, after a severe shoulder fracture. Shoulder replacement surgery relieves pain and helps restore motion, strength and function of the shoulder.

Total shoulder replacement, also known as total shoulder arthroplasty, is the removal of portions of the shoulder joint, which are replaced with artificial implants to reduce pain and restore range of rotation and mobility. It is very successful for treating the severe pain and stiffness caused by end-stage arthritis.
Shoulder arthritis is a condition in which the smooth cartilage that covers of the bones of the shoulder degenerate or disintegrate. In a healthy shoulder, these cartilage surfaces permit the bones to comfortably glide against one another. When these cartilage surfaces disappear, the bones come into direct contact, increasing friction and causing them to roughen and damage each other. Bone-on bone movement can be quite painful and difficult. Surgically implanted artificial replacement surfaces restore pain-free movement, strength and function.

What causes the conditions treated by shoulder replacement surgery?

There are two basic types of arthritis that affect the shoulder.

Osteoarthritis (OA): This is physical wear and tear on the cartilage inside the joint that develops from years of use. Although many older adults experience OA at some point, they are more likely to get it in their knees, hips or fingers than the shoulder. Osteoarthritis in the shoulder is more common in exceptionally active people (even at younger ages), such as tennis players, weightlifters and other athletes who put continual pressure on their shoulders. In some cases, a severe, acute injury triggers or contributes to this long-term damage, for example:

torn rotator cuff
shoulder fracture

Inflammatory arthritis (IA): This is an umbrella term for several chronic, autoimmune diseases which have no completely understood cause. The main two that affect the shoulder are:

rheumatoid arthritis
ankylosing spondylitis

Many people with these conditions who have replacement surgeries experience reduced pain and improved function in the shoulder. (Some ankylosing spondylitis patients may also benefit from elbow replacement.)