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Shoulder Joint Replacement Surgery:

A shoulder joint replacement surgery that is sometimes called Traditional Shoulder Arthroplasty. Shoulder Joint Replacement Surgery is performed to eliminate the damaged parts of the shoulder joint and further replace them with the artificial prosthesis. The purpose of replacing the shoulder joint with artificial prosthesis is to treat the humerus head called the ball or the glenoid that is known as ball and socket.

Causes that leads to a Shoulder Replacement Surgery:

Severe conditions can lead to shoulder pain and chronic disability. These factors include:

• Osteoarthritis: This is an age-related arthritis and usually occurs in people above the age of 50 years but may occur in younger people too. The cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee softens and wears away. The bones then rub against one another, causing knee pain and stiffness.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: The synovial membrane that surrounds the joint becomes inflamed and thickened in this disease. The chronic inflammation can damage the cartilage eventually causing cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of a group of disorders termed “inflammatory arthritis.”
• Post-traumatic arthritis: Fractures of the bones surrounding the knee or tears of the knee ligaments may damage the articular cartilage over time, causing knee pain and limiting knee function
• Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy: In this condition, a patient develops a very large and long-standing cuff rotator due to which cuff tear arthropathy may develop. The changes in the joint due to the rotator cuff may lead to the arthritis and destruction of the joint cartilage
• Avascular Necrosis (Osteonecrosis): In this condition, the blood supply to the bone is interrupted and it is also a very painful condition. The lack of blood supply to the bone can cause severe damage to the shoulder joint and may lead to arthritis
• Acute Fractures: This condition occurs when the head of the arm bone wears out and breaks and as a result it disrupts the blood supply to the bone

Techniques used in Shoulder Replacement Surgery:

Shoulder Replacement Surgery is indeed a very technical and complicated surgical process. Therefore, it requires a team of specialised and competent orthopaedic surgeons along with a team of professional medical staff. However, at the Saudi German Hospital, we are blessed with a team of highly qualified and well-learned orthopaedic surgeons who come with a decade of experience and excellence. Their amazing work speaks for itself, and they are experts in what they perform. At Saudi German Hospital, we are utilizing the following techniques for shoulder replacement surgery:

• Total Shoulder Replacement: A metal ball attached to a stem and a plastic socket is involved in replacing the damaged joint surface. However, the elements that are used in the humeral head (upper arm bone) are either cemented or uncemented. A bone that is in a good position will require an uncemented element and the bone that is not in a good position will require a cemented element.
• Stemmed Hemiarthroplasty: A prosthetic ball replaces a humeral head of an injured arm.
• Resurfacing Hemiarthroplasty: Resurfacing hemiarthroplasty involves replacing just the joint surface of the humeral head with a cap-like prosthesis without a stem. With its bone preserving advantage, it offers those with arthritis of the shoulder an alternative to the standard stemmed shoulder replacement.
• Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement: Another type of shoulder replacement is called reverse total shoulder replacement. Reverse total shoulder replacement is used for people who have:
• Completely torn rotator cuffs with severe arm weakness
• The effects of severe arthritis and rotator cuff tearing (cuff tear arthropathy)
• Had a previous shoulder replacement that failed

Post-Surgery Guidelines:

After a shoulder replacement surgery, you will be advised to stay in the hospital for a couple of days or you may be allowed to discharge from the hospital at the same day depending upon the availability of required facilities at your home. To avoid blood clotting and swelling, you will be encouraged to move your fingers and hand so that the blood flow towards the arm muscles is enhanced. Furthermore, you will be given blood thinning medications to further protect swelling and blood clotting. In addition to it, you will also be advised to use a sling to support the shoulder. A physical therapist will also assist you on how to exercise. However, you will be able to resume your daily life activities after 4-6 weeks post-surgery.sa

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