Shoulder Replacement Surgery does not replace the shoulder joint, it simply resurfaces the areas of the humerus and glenoid that have worn away. The worn out surfaces of the humerus, and possibly the glenoid, are removed and replaced with special components.
Partial Shoulder Replacement
| Figure 2 | Figure 3 |
In figure 2, the worn surfaces on the head of the humerus have been cut away, preparing the bone for the humeral component. Figure 3 shows that the head of the humerus has been replaced with a polished hemispherical metal component that has a long shaft which fits inside the hollow humerus. It is secured into the bone with a specially formulated cement.
The glenoid is evaluated during surgery. If it is damaged, it will be resurfaced with a special plastic glenoid component. A partial or hemi-replacement of the shoulder is when the glenoid is not resurfaced but only the humerus is resurfaced. A total shoulder replacement is when both the glenoid and the humerus is resurfaced.
A program of physical therapy is started in the days following surgery. Physical therapy is extremely important to allow the patient to regain strength and ensure the greatest motion possible.