Shoulder Replacement

What is a shoulder replacement surgery?

The shoulder is a large ball and socket joint made up of bones, tendons, muscles and ligaments which hold the shoulder in place. Smooth cartilage protects the shoulder bones, allowing them to glide easily. During shoulder replacement surgery, the damaged parts of the shoulder are removed or resurfaced and replaced with artificial components (prostheses). Your surgeon can discuss your treatment options and help you decide which is best for you.

How long does it take to perform a shoulder replacement surgery?

Shoulder replacement surgery usually takes about two to three hours to perform. Your surgeon will let you know if there are certain factors that may cause your procedure to take longer.

Reverse shoulder replacement surgery

Normally, the ball of your shoulder is part of your upper arm bone and the socket resides in your shoulder blade. During a reverse shoulder replacement, this setup is reversed. The surgeon attaches an artificial ball to the shoulder blade and attaches an artificial socket to the arm bone.

We perform reverse shoulder replacements when a patient’s ligaments aren’t healthy and they need the help of the muscle to keep the shoulder joint in place.

The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. During the procedure a surgical cut is made over the hip to expose the hip joint and the femur is dislocated from the acetabulum. The surface of the socket is cleaned and the damaged or arthritic bone is removed using a reamer. The acetabular component is inserted into the socket using screws or occasionally bone cement. A liner made of plastic, ceramic or metal is placed inside the acetabular component. The femur or thigh bone is then prepared by removing the arthritic bone using special instruments, to exactly fit the new metal femoral component. The femoral component is then inserted to the femur either by a press fit or using bone cement. Then the femoral head component made of metal or ceramic is placed on the femoral stem. All the new parts are secured in place using special cement. The muscles and tendons around the new joint are repaired and the incision is closed.