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Surgical Techniques Improve Treatment

and Recovery for Shoulder Patients

Until a few years ago, shoulder surgery One frequent source of shoulder pain is or impingement syndrome, the prosthesis is
invariably meant months of therapy, a long the rotator cuff, which is part of the struc- and it is used in other joints, switched, placing the
recuperation with limited mobility, and a ture that holds the arm in the shoulder including knees, hips, ankles, onus on different muscles
permanent scar to remind patients of the joint. It allows us to lift and rotate the arm elbows and wrists. to move the arm. Reverse
ordeal. As a result, many people post- to brush our teeth, swing a golf club or In more severe cases, such shoulder replacement has
poned shoulder surgery indefinitely and even lift an iPhone. The tendons in the as an irreparable rotator cuff allowed patients who
lived with pain and limitations, including rotator cuff can tear from age, overuse, injury or to repair a prior were previously impaired
foregoing preferred leisure activities. traumatic injury, or a fall, which then operation, shoulder replace- to experience a signifi-
Today, patients can look at shoulder require surgical intervention. ment is required. Frequently, BY GREGORY GILOT, MD cant improvement in
replacement surgery or arthroscopy as A rotator cuff injury or fracture was severe shoulder pain inter- their quality of life.
facilitating a quick return to sports and a often a career-ending incident for profes- feres with sleep. It can weak- It's important to seek
full spectrum of activities of daily living sional athletes and painful for the general en the joint so much that holding a brief- help from an upper-extremity surgeon, as
due to improvements in orthopaedic treat- public. Fortunately, these injuries can case or gym bag with that arm is impossi- orthopaedics has become highly special-
ments. often be repaired via arthroscopy, which ble. ized in the last decade, with surgeons treat-
Sound like a myth? Fortunately, it’s all means less tissue damage, far less pain and Numerous ailments may necessitate ing one or two joints exclusively.
true. Our surgeons’ toolkit now includes a quicker recovery. shoulder replacement, including osteo - The shoulder is a complicated part of
improved surgical techniques for shoulder In arthroscopy, which is minimally-inva- arthritis (degenerative arthritis), chronic the body, and with increased age, more
replacements or torn rotator cuffs, pros- sive, orthopaedic surgeons use a pencil- inflammation caused by rheumatoid boomers are choosing shoulder replace-
thetics individually-tailored to a patient’s sized instrument with a tiny camera at the arthritis, severe fractures or failure of prior ment and other surgical interventions.
body and novel anesthesia options. These tip called an arthroscope to examine and replacements caused by infection, disloca- With appropriate treatment and rehabilita-
advances have created a sea-change in the repair the tissues in the joint. Recovery is tion and/or excessive wear and tear. tion, surgery can restore mobility to the
field, so one key issue is to find a surgeon quicker and less painful when compared Approximately 53,000 people in the shoulder and help patients quickly return
who specializes in upper-extremity sur- to an open procedure. United States undergo the procedure to their preferred activities.
gery. The small incisions in arthroscopy mean annually, according to the Agency for
A painful shoulder condition or injury that swelling is curtailed. With the advent Healthcare Research and Quality.
can have a severe impact on quality of life, of longer lasting and safer anesthetics, lit- Most patients come to us at Cleveland Dr. Gregory Gilot is the Director of the
including such common activities as eat- tle or no pain medication is needed after Clinic’s Levitetz Department of Levitetz Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
ing, dressing and even typing. It’s critical the surgery. Arthroscopy also avoids a Orthopaedic Surgery after failure to at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He is a Shoulder
to remember that the shoulder rotates lengthy scar. improve with other treatments, such as and Sports Medicine Specialist and one of the
through a greater range of motion than After arthroscopy, many patients return cortisone injections, physical therapy or team physicians for the Florida Panthers.
any other joint in the body. The shoulder to work in a week. Many return to their anti-inflammatory medicine. Some
joint is partly composed of three bones - favorite sports after just a month in physi- patients with large rotator cuff tears or SOURCES:
the humerus (upper arm), scapula (shoul- cal therapy. Additionally, improvements in severe arthritis known as cuff tear http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a0
der blade) and clavicle (collarbone). A anesthesia mean a post-operative recuper- arthropathy may benefit from a reverse 0109
healthy shoulder also has cartilage and ation without opioids. shoulder replacement rather than the con- http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A0
joint fluid to help lubricate the joint and Arthroscopy has made a vast difference ventional procedure. 0094https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti-
avoid friction. The supporting muscles in how we treat shoulder injuries. It is also In a reverse total shoulder replacement, cles/PMC3117522/https://medlineplus.gov/enc
y/article/007206.htm
and tendons provide stability and support. used to treat shoulder dislocation, fracture the position of the socket and metal ball in

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