If you suffer from shoulder pain due to arthritis, surgery to repair or replace your shoulder may be necessary to ease the pain. Arthritis, the breaking down of tissues in the joint, can be caused by a few different factors, including
- osteoarthritis – wear and tear from years of use.
- inflammatory arthritis – a chronic joint disease.
- post-traumatic arthritis – lasting effects from a fracture or other injury to the joint.
- rotator cuff arthropathy – a long-term injury to the rotator cuff.
Shoulder surgery will offer you relief from the pain, better range of motion, and more years of use.
Rotator Cuff Tears
Rotator cuff tears are a common reason for shoulder pain. These surgeries are typically performed through small poke-hole incisions with the use of a camera. These types of tears are often caused by chronic use of the arm/shoulder but can also be a result of acute trauma/an accident.
When you come in for your initial appointment regarding shoulder pain, your surgeon will typically obtain x-rays to look for underlying fractures or signs of arthritis. Based upon this and a physical exam, the decision to order and MRI is discussed which will look for a tendon injury such as a rotator cuff tear. If surgery is the best option for your injury it will be thoroughly discussed with you and scheduled as soon as possible. These surgeries have a high success rate of returning a patient back to having a functional shoulder again.
