CINCINNATI, Ohio (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Shoulder replacement is the third most common replacement in the U.S., following hip and knee replacements. It’s mostly needed due to arthritis, causing severe bone-on-bone joint pain. But for some patients, a traditional shoulder replacement isn’t the best option. That’s why now, doctors can relieve pain with reverse shoulder replacement.
It just wasn’t Martha Kuhr’s job that took a toll…
“I’m an ICU nurse – retired now – and for 35 years, I was lifting, pulling, tugging patients,” she says.
The pain stopped her from doing what she loved most – biking.
“The weight on the shoulders, on the handlebars, would become very uncomfortable,” she adds.
Director of Sports Medicine at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Dr. Nikhil Verma, MD suggested a reverse shoulder replacement.
Martha tells Ivanhoe, “I thought he was gonna put my arm on backwards, you know, I said, ‘Great, I can scratch my back now.’”
Martha’s rotator cuff was not strong enough to support a traditional shoulder replacement, where surgeons replace the socket but still depend on all the surrounding muscle and tendons to support the implant.
Dr. Verma explains, “What a reverse shoulder replacement does is, it puts the ball where the socket goes and the socket where the ball goes, and what that does is, it allows the shoulder to become a constrained joint so that the big muscles on the side of your shoulder are now able to substitute for the rotator cuff.”
Recovery is quicker and results better.
“If we had done a traditional replacement, we probably wouldn’t have seen the same range of motion recovery and functional recovery that we saw with a reverse replacement,” Dr. Verma adds.
And now, Martha is back on her bike, ready to roll. Dr. Verma says, about 50 percent of all shoulder replacements are now done with reverse implants.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TITLE: REVERSE SHOULDER SURGERY: RETHINKING IMPLANTS
REPORT: MB #5373
BACKGROUND: Shoulder surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures aimed at addressing various conditions affecting the shoulder joint, including injuries, degenerative diseases, and structural abnormalities. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality, around 53,000 Americans undergo shoulder replacement surgery every year. There are quite a few different shoulder surgeries, including: rotator cuff repair, shoulder arthroscopy, shoulder replacement, Bankart repair, and SLAP repair.
(Sources: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/shoulder-surgery
https://www.verywellhealth.com/types-of-shoulder-surgery-4134622)
DIAGNOSING: As with any surgical procedure, shoulder surgery carries risks, including infection, blood clots, nerve injury, stiffness, weakness, dislocation, fracturing, implant loosening, or failure to relieve symptoms. The specific risks depend on the type and complexity of the surgery performed, as well as individual patient factors. Following shoulder surgery, rehabilitation is crucial for restoring strength, range of motion, and function to the shoulder joint. Physical therapy and exercises are typically prescribed to aid in the recovery process and prevent stiffness or weakness.
(Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/shoulder-replacement/about/pac-20519121
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Reverse shoulder surgery is becoming a more popular treatment for shoulder pain. Director of Sports Medicine at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Nikhil Verma, MD recommends this surgery for severe cases. “What a reverse shoulder replacement does is it puts the ball where the socket goes and the socket where the ball goes. And what that does is it allows the shoulder to become a constrained joint so that the big muscles on the side of your shoulder are now able to substitute for the rotator cuff.”
(Source: Nikhil Verma, MD, Director of Sports Medicine, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ann Pitcher
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
