Reverse Shoulder Replacement

Boise, Idaho

Benefits of Reverse Shoulder Replacement

Treats both arthritis and rotator cuff tears in your shoulder
Improved function to strength and active motion (if limited prior to surgery)
Most reliable surgery for individuals that are not candidates for standard shoulder replacement

Has your shoulder pain begun to interfere with your daily activities or quality of life?

Shoulder replacement is a reliable way to resolve your pain. But many people have both pain along with significant weakness. This combination of pain and weakness can lead to significant limitations to perform even simple daily tasks. A standard shoulder replacement cannot address both issues of weakness and pain. A reverse shoulder replacement is the answer to resolving your pain and returning function to your shoulder without weakness.

The reverse shoulder replacement was originally designed to specifically address the combination of shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tears. It has been performed in the United States since 2003. With its success, it has become the fastest growing joint replacement procedure. Part of this growth is due to the expanded use for other problems of the shoulder outside of just arthritis and cuff tears. Reverse shoulder replacement has been shown to have better results in individuals with cuff tears that cannot be repaired, severe shoulder fractures, chronic shoulder instability and failed prior shoulder replacements.

How does the reverse work?

The reverse total shoulder works by biomechanically changing the shoulder to take advantage of muscles not affected by arthritis and trauma. Each side of the shoulder is replaced but the location of the ball and the cup of the joint are placed on opposite locations or “reversed”. The shoulder now can better utilize the deltoid muscle on the outer shoulder along with any remaining intact rotator cuff to lift the shoulder with strength and without pain.

What to expect?

Reverse shoulder replacement is a complex surgery as it is changing the anatomy of the shoulder to return function and eliminate pain. Dr. Applonie is a fellowship trained Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon. After his orthopedic residency training, he was selected to be a fellow at UConn where he trained for an additional year with leaders in shoulder and elbow surgery. The experience focused on shoulder replacement and arthroscopic management of shoulder injuries. The reverse replacement typically takes 90 mins to perform. With the assistance of a multimodal pain control plan, many patients are able to go home on the same day of surgery. Many individuals have minimal pain two weeks after surgery. Physical therapy starts 3 weeks after surgery with recovery into normal activities expected by 10-12 weeks after surgery for many. The shoulder will continue to improve for strength and range of motion over the first year after surgery.

Call Capital Surgical Associates today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Applonie regarding shoulder replacement

References:

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/reverse-total-shoulder-replacement/

https://eor.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/eor/6/3/2058-5241.6.200085.xml

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7174456/

Triangle Background - Capital Surgical Associates

Person grabbing shoulder in pain | Reverse Shoulder Replacement Surgery at Capital Surgical Associates

Has your shoulder pain begun interfering with your daily activities or quality of life? Shoulder replacement is a reliable way to resolve your pain. But many people have both pain and significant weakness. This combination of pain and weakness can lead to significant limitations in performing even simple daily tasks. A standard shoulder replacement cannot address both issues of weakness and pain. A reverse shoulder replacement is an answer to resolving your pain and returning function to your shoulder without weakness.

Benefits of Reverse Shoulder Replacement:

Treats both arthritis and rotator cuff tears in your shoulder
Improved function to strength and active motion (if limited before surgery)
Most reliable surgery for individuals that are not candidates for standard shoulder replacement

older person grabbing shoulder in pain | Reverse Shoulder Replacement Surgery at Capital Surgical Associates

When Was Reverse Shoulder Replacement Invented?

The reverse shoulder replacement was originally designed to address the combination of shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tears. It has been performed in the United States since 2003. With its success, it has become the fastest-growing joint replacement procedure. This growth is partly due to the expanded use for other shoulder problems outside of arthritis and cuff tears. Reverse shoulder replacement has been shown to have better results in individuals with cuff tears that a doctor has been unsuccessful at repairing, severe shoulder fractures, chronic shoulder instability, and failed prior shoulder replacements.

How Does the Reverse Shoulder Replacement Work?

The procedure works by biomechanically changing the shoulder to take advantage of muscles not affected by arthritis and trauma. First, each side of the shoulder is replaced. Then the location of the ball and cup of the joint are placed in opposite locations, or “reversed.” The shoulder can now better utilize the deltoid muscle on the outer shoulder and any remaining intact rotator cuff to lift the shoulder with strength and without pain.

man grabbing shoulder in pain | Reverse Shoulder Replacement Surgery at Capital Surgical Associates

Reverse shoulder replacement is a complex surgery as it changes the shoulder's anatomy to return function and eliminate pain. Dr. Applonie is a fellowship-trained Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon. After his orthopedic residency training, he was selected to be a fellow at UConn, where he trained for an additional year with leaders in shoulder and elbow surgery. The experience focused on shoulder replacement and arthroscopic management of shoulder injuries. The reverse replacement typically takes 90 mins to perform. With the assistance of a multimodal pain control plan, many patients can go home on the same day of surgery. Many individuals have minimal pain two weeks after surgery. Physical therapy starts three weeks after surgery, with recovery into normal activities expected by 10-12 weeks after surgery for many. The shoulder will continue to improve in strength and range of motion over the first year after surgery.