Essay On Shoulder Replacement

A total shoulder replacement is a common orthopedic surgery that occurs in the United States. It may not be as common as the hip or knee replacement, but it still gets the job done at alleviating joint pain and getting a person back to doing their daily activities. Typically, a total shoulder replacement will consist of replacing the impaired parts of the shoulder joint with an artificial prosthesis. The two surgical options are to replace just the ball of the humerus or replace both the humeral head and the glenoid fossa. 1 There are several conditions or injuries that can cause a person to need a shoulder replacement. The first condition is degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is brought on by
4 Severe fractures are of course another reason as to why a person would need a shoulder replacement. If the head of the humerus gets shattered, it’s most likely going to be difficult for a surgeon to piece it back together and it will take even longer for the bone to heal. During a fracture a person could lose blood supply, in this situation a surgeon would recommend a shoulder replacement. Older adults with osteoporosis are at an increased risk of getting a severe fracture. Severe fractures can also occur in a car accident or other type of collisions. 2 The major indication for performing a total shoulder replacement is when a person has unbearable pain that cannot be eased with medications, or other nonoperative options. Most people will complain of not being able to do their daily activities and complain of not having normal active range of motion. Active range of motion may not be completely fixed with a total shoulder replacement, especially in cases where a person has had extreme joint disease or a long-term rotator cuff tear. 5 I interviewed a physical therapist I work with and asked him what kind of things would be addressed to be a patient who had just underwent a