The Arthritic shoulder
Arthritis simply means inflammation of a joint. Shoulder arthritis can present as pain, stiffness, weakness or any combination of these.
Initial treatment can involve physiotherapy to maintain movement and simple analgaesia (painkillers)
When function is decreasing despite the regular use of painkillers and X-rays show clear signs of arthritis then shoulder replacement can dramatically improve comfort and function.
There are three main types of shoulder replacement
Initial treatment can involve physiotherapy to maintain movement and simple analgaesia (painkillers)
When function is decreasing despite the regular use of painkillers and X-rays show clear signs of arthritis then shoulder replacement can dramatically improve comfort and function.
There are three main types of shoulder replacement
- a hemiarthroplasty, or half shoulder replacement, where only the ball is replaced
- a total shoulder where the ball and socket is replaced
- a reverse shoulder where the ball and socket are the opposite way around
