A common question people ask about shoulder surgeries is: What is a reverse shoulder?
So, a reverse shoulder is the flip of the human shoulder. There’s a ball and a socket on one side. Think about a golf ball sitting on a tee, and the reverse is flipped.
We put a metal ball where the socket was and then a socket where the ball was, so it’s reversed. That was developed for patients who had severe arthritis and rotator cuff tears because the traditional shoulder replacement didn’t address the fact that the rotator cuff was torn.
We have found that it treats many other pathologies in the shoulder quite well besides that specific indication. So, it’s a wonderful tool. For various reasons, it is now the number-one shoulder replacement in the world.
It’s an incredible tool. I can’t imagine practicing without it because it solves so many problems we couldn’t solve before. But think of the normal human shoulder, flipped. That’s what a reverse is.
Get expert care for your shoulder. Contact Dr. Kevin Kruse at (469) 717-4674 for a personalized treatment.