There are many reasons as to why our surgeons may recommend a partial or total replacement of your shoulder joint. Pain associated with osteoarthritis, severe fractures and failure of conservative treatments may necessitate replacement surgery.

Patients with arthritis of the shoulder are candidates for partial and total shoulder replacements, which involve replacement of the arthritic joint with prosthesis. The treatment options for shoulder replacement include a hemiarthroplasty (replacement of the humeral head or ‘ball’) or total replacement of both the ball and socket (glenoid). Other methods of surgery include resurfacing hemiarthroplasty and reverse total shoulder replacement.

Shoulder surgery can be performed in all age groups, however not all patients are candidates. Many factors including the anatomy of your shoulder, the severity of injury, previous injury, body type and previous surgeries all play a part when deciding the approach that is most suitable for you.

During your appointment, you will have a discussion regarding how appropriate shoulder surgery is for you, the risks and benefits, type of implant and your expectations of surgery.