Shoulder Arthroplasty (Replacement)
Commonly referred to as ‘shoulder replacement surgery’, is a surgical procedure in which a damaged or diseased shoulder joint is replaced with an artificial metallic prosthesis. This procedure is typically considered when conservative treatments like medications, physical therapy fail to relieve the pain and restore the function.
Types of Shoulder Arthroplasty
Hemiarthroplasty
(Partial Shoulder Replacement)
In this procedure, only the head of the humerus (ball of shoulder) is replaced, while the glenoid (socket) remains intact. It is often used for complex fractures of the humeral head.
Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
(TSA)
In this procedure, both the head of the humerus (the ball) and the glenoid (the socket) are replaced with artificial components.
Common indications include severe osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or shoulder fractures that cannot be treated effectively with other simpler methods.
Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty
(RSA)
In this procedure, the positions of the ball and socket are reversed. The ball is attached to the shoulder blade, and the socket is attached to the upper arm bone. This specific prosthetic design negates the need for an intact rotator cuff (Supraspinatus) tendon.
Typically used for patients with rotator cuff tear arthropathy developing in long-standing massive rotator cuff tears.