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What is shoulder replacement surgery, and how does it work?

Entire shoulder replacement, also recognised as total shoulder arthroplasty, involves removing parts of the shoulder joint and changing them with artificial implants to relieve discomfort and restore range of motion. It is quite effective in alleviating the severe pain and stiffness associated with end-stage arthritis.

Shoulder arthritis is characterized by the degeneration or disintegration of the smooth cartilage covering the bones of the shoulder. These cartilage surfaces allow the bones to move smoothly against one another in a healthy shoulder. When these cartilage surfaces are lost, the bones come into direct touch with one another, generating friction and causing them to roughen and injure one another. Bone-on-bone movement can be very painful. Artificial replacement surfaces that are surgically implanted restore pain-free movement, strength, and function.

Steps in a typical shoulder replacement surgery

The following are the six basic steps in a typical (anatomic) shoulder replacement surgery:

1. The surgeon split up pectoral muscles and the deltoid to gain access to the shoulder in a mostly nerve-free area (to reduce nerve damage).
2. One of the front muscles of the rotator cuff, which covers the shoulder, is severed to open the shoulder. The surgeon may now see and manipulate the arthritic components of the shoulder ball and socket because this "opens the door."
3. The joint's arthritic parts are removed.
4. Ball,the implant socket, and stem are all placed. The stem, which extends down within the patient's humerus, is linked to the metal ball component.
5. The rotator cuff muscle incision is closed and patched.
6. Clean and sew the external (skin-level) incision, then apply a bandage as a temporary covering.

What is reversed shoulder replacement?

A reverse shoulder replacement is when the ball and socket positions are reversed: A metal ball implant is inserted into the patient's natural socket. A plastic socket implant is inserted into the humeral head's skull.

This reverse design is more stable because it does not rely on tendons to keep it in place. The deltoid muscle, rather than the rotator cuff tendon, controls its motion. This makes it an excellent alternative when a damaged shoulder requires new surfaces but lacks healthy soft tissues to support stability and movement. Patients with shoulder arthritis and a serious rotator cuff tear are often candidates for this procedure.

The following is the justification behind the reverse shoulder replacement: The shoulder ball rests against the socket in a healthy person, rather than being deeply enclosed within the socket as it is in a hip joint. The ball relies on the tendons surrounding it and the socket to hold it in place and move it because of its position. These tendons, however, are severely injured, ripped, or non-functional in some kinds of arthritis. The ball implant utilized in a typical shoulder replacement would have no soft tissue to hold it in place and move it in such circumstances.

HSS surgeons have pioneered the development of traditional (sometimes known as "anatomic") and reverse shoulder replacements.

Trust the Techniques Offered by Dr. Manu Bora

When it comes to severe surgeries such as that of shoulder replacement, then one can surely trust the processes and techniques offered by the renowned ortho Dr. Manu Bora!