A common question people ask is, what is a shoulder replacement? A shoulder replacement is when we go into your shoulder and replace the joint.
We remove parts of the bone that are arthritic or worn out and replace them with metal and plastic that’s shaped similar to what we took out that’s in the anatomic.
In the reverse, it’s flipped, the ball and socket are flipped, but just picture your mind that what we’re doing is making cuts in the bone and setting implants in the bone that grow into the bone.
We don’t cement them anymore unless it’s a special circumstance, but 99% are not cemented. Those implants were placed in the joint, so you have metal and plastic where you used to have bone and cartilage. That nice smooth joint is a huge upgrade for patients.
What we say is that it’s like a tire they have been riding on the rims, and we’re putting in a new tire. That’s the best way to think about it.
Explore the benefits of shoulder replacement. Schedule a consultation with a shoulder surgeon at (469) 804-5977 today.