The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The ball portion of the joint is called the humeral head, and is part of the humerus (upper arm bone). The socket portion is called the glenoid, and is part of the scapula (shoulder blade). The humeral head (ball) fits into the glenoid (socket) and the two bones rub together as the shoulder moves.
Patients who have tried the usual treatments for shoulder arthritis, but have not been able to find adequate relief, may be a candidate for shoulder replacement surgery. Shoulder replacement surgery is an option for treatment of severe arthritis of the shoulder joint. Total shoulder replacement surgery alleviates pain by replacing the damaged bone and cartilage with a metal and plastic implant.
Common symptoms of shoulder arthritis include:
o Pain with activities
o Limited range of motion
o Stiffness of the shoulder
o Swelling of the joint
o Tenderness around the joint
o A feeling of grinding or catching within the joint
Procedure for Shoulder Joint Replacement:
This procedure is done under general anesthesia. Joint replacement involves surgery to replace the ends of bones in a damaged joint. This surgery creates new joint surfaces. An incision about six inches long is then made over the shoulder joint. The incision is gradually made deeper through muscle and other tissue until the bones of the shoulder joint are exposed. Doctors replace the ends of the damaged upper arm bone (humerus) and usually the shoulder bone (scapula) or cap them with artificial surfaces lined with plastic or metal. Shoulder joint components may be held in place with cement, or they may be made with material that allows new bone to grow into the joint component over time to hold it in place without cement.
The top end of your upper arm bone is shaped like a ball. Muscles and ligaments hold this ball against a cup-shaped part of the shoulder bone. Surgeons usually replace the top of the upper arm bone with a long metal piece, inserted into your upper arm bone that has a rounded head. If the cup-shaped surface of your shoulder bone that cradles your upper arm bone is also damaged, doctors smooth it and then cap it with a plastic or metal and plastic piece.
Nowadays surgeons are trying a newer procedure called a reverse total shoulder replacement for people who have painful arthritis in their shoulder and also have damage to the muscles around the shoulder. In this procedure, after the surgeon removes the damaged bone and smoothes the ends, he or she attaches the rounded joint piece to the shoulder bone and uses the cup-shaped piece to replace the top of the upper arm bone.
The procedure lasts about 90 minutes, and the incision is then closed with staples or stitches. Patients typically stay in the hospital for one to two nights, and full recovery usually takes six to 12 weeks.
Shoulder replacement surgery has a success rate of over 90 percent.
Shoulder replacement surgery is performed in a hospital by orthopedic surgeons with specialized training in shoulder joint replacement surgery.
Shoulder, hip replacement, hip resurfing, knee replacement surgery and other most advanced computer navigated joint replacement surgery is done at serveral hospitals in India such as Apollo Hospital in Mumbai, Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, Apollo Speciality Hospital in Chennai, MOIT hospital, Chennai etc. which compares with the USA & U.K.
