Shoulder Replacement
Is your shoulder in constant pain from arthritis or a severe rotator cuff tear? The joint replacement surgeons at Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland can help you regain your quality of life. If you need shoulder replacement surgery, you can trust our board-certified surgeons to help minimize your pain and restore your function.
There are two main surgical approaches for shoulder replacement (total and reverse), as well as partial shoulder resurfacing. After an examination and diagnostic imaging to determine the severity of damage within your shoulder joint, your doctor will determine which procedure is right for you.
If shoulder pain is holding you back from your daily or leisure activities, call (410) 644-1880 for a consultation with one of our shoulder replacement surgeons in Eldersburg, Catonsville, or Columbia, Maryland, or you can use our online appointment request form. Your doctor will explain your treatment options and let you know if you are a candidate for shoulder surgery.
SHOULDER REPLACEMENT PROCEDURES
If your rotator cuff is completely torn and cannot be repaired, you have severe arthritis with rotator cuff damage, or you have had prior failed shoulder surgery, your doctor may recommend reverse shoulder replacement surgery. In these cases, traditional total shoulder replacement may not be the best treatment option as it would still leave you unable to lift your arm.
In contrast to total shoulder replacement, the position of the ball and socket in the joint are switched in a reverse shoulder replacement. The metal ball is attached to the scapula (shoulder blade), and the artificial socket is attached to the end of the humerus. Such placement allows the deltoid muscle, instead of the damaged rotator cuff muscles, to lift the arm above the shoulder.
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If you have severe, bone-on-bone osteoarthritis and intact rotator cuff tendons, your doctor may recommend a total shoulder replacement, the most common type of shoulder replacement surgery. This procedure is highly effective at relieving arthritis pain and restoring function.
Your surgeon will make a 6-inch incision on the front of your shoulder joint. He or she will replace the damaged head of the upper arm bone (humerus) with a highly polished metal ball and replace the socket that it fits into (glenoid cavity) with a plastic lining. If the glenoid is in good condition, your surgeon may only replace the head of the humerus in a procedure called a hemiarthroplasty.
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