Shoulder Replacement Treatments
How do you treat Shoulder Arthritis?
Shoulder Arthritis is initially managed non operatively. This is best performed using a multimodal approach. The main arms of treatment include:
- Simple analgesia: Such as Paracetamol and Anti-inflammatory agents. Topical balms and ointments may also help.
- Physiotherapy
- Intra-articular Corticosteroid injections
When these methods fail or are exhausted, patients usually require surgery. Most commonly this will involve a Shoulder Replacement. There are two types:
- Anatomic Shoulder Replacement
- Reverse Shoulder Replacement
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Anatomic Total Shoulder Replacement
An Anatomic Shoulder Replacement much like the name suggests essentially replaces the worn/damaged anatomy of your shoulder ie. The ball for a ball and the socket with a socket. This is a good option for Osteoarthritis. This Shoulder Replacement gives fantastic pain relief and near normal movement of the shoulder.
The surgery itself is a 60 to 90 minute procedure through a small incision at the front of your shoulder. You will spend 1-2 nights in hospital and will remain in a sling for 4-6 weeks. During which time you will commence Physiotherapy. The shoulder will take approximately 3 months to recover.
As this replacement is matching your anatomy, much like your “native” shoulder, it requires your rotator cuff tendons to be intact and working well to give you a good result and good movement. Hence if you have a rotator cuff tear or poor quality tendons a Reverse Shoulder Replacement is a better option.
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
A Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement much like the name suggests swaps the anatomy of your shoulder joint. The “ball” of your shoulder is replaced with a cup and the socket of your shoulder with ball. With this design it bypasses the need for your Rotator Cuff Tendons. Hence this is a good replacement for not only osteoarthritis but also for irreparable Rotator Cuff Tear and Shoulder Fractures.
This Shoulder Replacement gives fantastic pain relief and good movement.
The surgery itself is a 60-90 minute procedure through a small incision at the front of your shoulder. You will spend 1-2 nights in hospital and will remain in a sling for 4-6 weeks. During which time you will commence Physiotherapy. The shoulder will take approximately 3 months to recover.
