Shoulder pain can significantly impact your daily activities.

Having a total shoulder replacement is one solution that your doctor may discuss with you to help get you back to a normal, active life.
Although the reasons to have a total shoulder replacement vary from person to person, the goal is the same – to get you back to what you love! Learn more below about the causes of shoulder pain, treatment options and the latest advancements in shoulder surgery.

Shoulder Replacement Surgery

What can I do?

If non-surgical treatment options, such as medication, physical therapy or lifestyle changes like losing weight, fail to provide relief, your surgeon may recommend total shoulder replacement surgery.

How Does Your Shoulder Work?

The shoulder is comprised of three main bones: the collarbone (clavicle), the shoulder blade (scapula) and the upper arm bone (humerus). The glenoid (part of the scapula) and humeral head (part of the humerus) are normally the parts of the shoulder that have to be replaced because they rub together when you move your arm.
In a healthy shoulder, these portions of bone are covered with cartilage, which allows for painless motion—lifting, pushing and pulling. But arthritis can damage this protective cartilage, which makes these motions painful.

Arthritis is one of the most common conditions that causes wear and tear to your joint cartilage and develops after years of constant motion and pressure on the joints. If non-surgical treatment options such as medication, physical therapy or lifestyle changes fail to provide relief, your surgeon may recommend shoulder replacement surgery.

What is Shoulder Replacement Surgery?

During a total shoulder replacement surgery, a doctor takes out the damaged parts of your shoulder joint and replaces them with new parts.
Your surgeon will:

• Put you under anesthesia.
• Make a cut so they can access your shoulder joint.
• Remove the damaged parts of your bones or cartilage.
• Replace the removed parts with metal and plastic implants.

Primary Total Shoulder Replacement

A primary, or anatomic, shoulder replacement is one type of surgery your doctor may want to do.

During primary shoulder replacement surgery, your surgeon will:

• Make a cut in the front of the shoulder so they can access your joint.
• Take out the damaged bone and cartilage.
• Remove the head of the bone at the top of your arm.
• Place a metal stem into your arm bone.
• Place a plastic socket implant on your shoulder blade.

Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement

If you have damage to your rotator cuff muscle, your surgeon may want to do a reverse total shoulder replacement surgery.

During reverse total shoulder replacement surgery, your surgeon will:

• Make a cut in the front of the shoulder, so they can access your joint.
• Take out the damaged bone and cartilage.
• Remove the head of the bone at the top of your arm.
• Attach a metal ball to the shoulder blade.
• Place a metal implant into the upper arm bone.
• Attach a plastic socket to the implant in the upper arm bone.