Michigan Orthopedics

As one of the top Michigan orthopedic hospitals and with nationally renowned joint care and foot and ankle programs, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland serves as a model for hospitals across the country. Our Michigan doctors specialize in everything from custom knee replacement to hip replacements to shoulder injuries and even wrist fractures.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE COPY
OF THE MEDICAL REPORT

Richard Bartholomew, DO

St. Joseph Mercy Oakland
Orthopedic Surgeon

THE FACTS ABOUT REVERSE SHOULDER ARTHROPLASTY

Background

Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty is a unique approach to correct a damaged rotator cuff and advanced degenerative joint disease of the shoulder in cases where routine total joint replacement will relieve pain, but will not restore normal motion. Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty changes the orientation of the shoulder so that the normal socket is replaced with an artificial ball and the normal ball is replaced with an implant that has a socket into which the artificial ball rests. This type of design changes the mechanics of the shoulder and enables the artificial joint to function when the rotator cuff is absent or when there is significant bone loss.

Podcast Posted: 3/31/2008
Duration: 01:00

Downloads
MP3 PDF

The shoulder is a modified ball-in-a-socket joint, with a ball being the rounded portion of the upper arm and the socket being a shallow dish-shaped structure attached to the shoulder blade. Because the shoulder needs a great range of motion, the cup side does not surround the ball, and is dependent of strong ligament structures for stability and motion. “Patients who are candidates for this procedure are commonly around the age of 60 or older and experience significant pain and limitations of function,” says SJMO orthopedic surgeon, Richard Bartholomew, DO.

Further signs and symptoms that may require Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty are when the rotator cuff no longer prevents cartilage from rubbing on bone or when degenerative joint disease wears off the protective covering of cartilage of the joint, so that the remaining surfaces of the bone rub against one another. Patients may also consider this procedure if they had a previous shoulder replacement that had failed.

Advantages
Choosing to use the Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty not only relieves pain within the shoulder, but also restores a greater range of motion than normal shoulder arthroplasty. This procedure also enables the artificial joint to function when the rotator cuff is absent or when there is significant bone loss, because it allows the patient to use the deltoid muscle to lift the arm. Additionally, Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty is a useful option for patients that have had a previous shoulder replacement fail, due to rotator cuff tendons that are chronically torn and cannot be repaired.

Cautions
The Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty procedure is not for everyone with shoulder pain and irritation. The risks are the same as for any invasive procedure; the risk of anesthesia, wound infection, blood
loss, and the risk of developing blood clots.

Referrals
Please contact the SJMO referral line at 800.372.6094 for an orthopedic surgeon near you.

THE MEDICAL REPORT LIBRARY:

MICHIGAN ORTHOPEDICS

	The Facts About Achilles Tendonitis Peg Chilvers, MD Posted: 3/31/2008
	Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Richard Bartholomew, DO Posted: 3/31/2008
	The Facts About Knee Bursitis Jignesh Patel, DO Posted: 3/31/2008
	The Facts About Ankle Arthroscopy Christopher Tisdel, MD Posted: 3/31/2008
	Custom Fit Knee Replacement Safa Kassab, MD Posted: 12/15/2007
	Total Hip Replacement William Ward, MD Posted: 9/25/2007

Page: 1 2 3