Total Shoulder Replacement
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.
Total Shoulder Replacement
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| 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.
In Total Shoulder Replacement, both the damaged surfaces of the humeral head and the glenoid are resurfaced. First a portion of the humeral head and then the surface of the glenoid are cut away. The head of the humerus is 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 resurfacing component is made of a specially engineered plastic. It has two pegs that penetrate the glenoid bone to increase stability. The glenoid component is secured into the bone with a specially formulated cement. These components recreate the pain free low friction function of a normal shoulder.
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.