By Matthew P. Darmelio, MD
There have been many patients referred to Mountainstate Orthopedic Associates for shoulder replacement surgery, and we are usually asked about the reverse procedure.The reverse shoulder replacement is a very specific replacement used for those people that have irreparable rotator cuff tears and an inability to lift their arm. Many patients can use the other arm to lift their shoulder, but they don't have an intact rotator cuff to help lift on the involved side.
A traditional shoulder replacement is used for osteoarthritis, which is the more common arthritis, and for rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease that affects mostly middle-aged and older adults. It is characterized by the breakdown of joint cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the joints.
The reverse shoulder replacement differs from traditional shoulder replacement in that the two replacement parts are switched:
- The ball goes on the cup (glenoid) side
- The cup goes on the ball (humeral head) side.
This replacement has become more commonplace as surgeons have become more comfortable with doing them. Again, it is only for a small subset of patients with certain clinical findings and not something used for every shoulder arthritis patient.
A countless number of people live with shoulder pain every day. If you are one of those people experiencing weakness or are having trouble lifting above shoulder level, you should consult one of our orthopedic surgeons.
Our physicians are fellowship-trained in specific areas such as sports medicine and hand & foot injuries and can diagnose and treat even the most intricate orthopedic conditions.
The members of our staff work very closely with one another to provide the best individualized care to each patient. We are committed to providing a positive state-of-the-art orthopedic experience to all our patients in an efficient, compassionate and helpful manner.
To see what patients have to say about the shoulder surgeries they have received from the orthopedic surgeons at MOA, please click here: http://www.mountainstateorthopedic.com/shoulder-testimonial-jackson
If you think you may have a rotator cuff injury, please click below to schedule an appointment so we can get you back to your previous way of life!
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Darmelio, M.D
