BALTIMORE, Md. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Fifty-three-thousand Americans have shoulder replacement surgery every year. Now, orthopedic surgeons are using high-tech to pre-plan the surgery, meaning a more individualized treatment for the patient, and restored range of motion, meaning patients can return to the activities they loved before.
Sixty-four-year-old Dan Lidster lived in pain for eight years. His aching shoulder kept him awake nights, which ruined his days.
“I had to write everything down because I just couldn’t remember anything. I was in this huge fog,” Lidster explains.
After a lifetime of working out, Lidster figured arthritis was the cause, but he says he wasn’t ready for the doctor’s prescription.
“He took x-rays of it, and he said, ‘I need to replace your shoulder.’ and I mean, it was like within 15 minutes of being there,” Lidster further explains.
But orthopedic surgeon at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in the Mercy Medical Center, Gregory Gasbarro, MD, mapped out a unique approach for Lidster, starting with a computerized CT scan.
“The software program then makes a three-dimensional model of the patient’s shoulder,” Dr. Gasbarro says.
The three-dimensional image allows Dr. Gasbarro to virtually plan the position and orientation of the shoulder implant. A patient-specific guide allows doctors to customize the surgery for each patient.
Dr. Gasbarro adds, “When you use the guide, what it does is it’s putting you down the best column of bones, so you can have stability, and it’s also pushing you in the correct direction so, you can correct the deformity.”
Dr. Gasbarro replaced Lidster’s shoulder in June of 2020. Lidster says he’s faithful about stretching and has returned to working out.
“I have no issues. I can’t lift as heavy weights, but I can still lift weights, and that’s the important part. I can do it pain free,” Lidster expresses.
Dr. Gasbarro uses the 3D imaging primarily for shoulder replacement surgeries, not for other shoulder procedures like rotator cuff repair or tendon repair.
Contributors to this news report include Cyndy McGrath, Producer; Kirk Manson, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Source:
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: 3D PLANNING FOR SHOULDER REPLACEMENT
REPORT: MB #5123
BACKGROUND: In the past, patients with severe injuries were often treated with over-the-counter pain medications and rest, but over time this caused pain, tears, and traumatic rotator cuff injuries that potentially led to more broken bones. Today, shoulder replacements are among the favored surgical procedures. Replacements are usually performed with anatomic or reverse implants. People that receive these implants today now often return home the same day they undergo the surgery with outpatient therapy.
DIAGNOSING: The most common signal that a shoulder replacement is necessary is pain in the shoulder area, even during basic tasks. Things like getting dressed, doing laundry, and making dinner will cause mislay of motions and frailty in the shoulder region. A doctor will determine whether a replacement is necessary, by ordering X-rays that detect bone spurs, damaged joint surfaces, and narrowed joint places. . These scans will also locate any traumas or other injuries and from there a healthcare provider can gauge whether surgery is a necessary component in treating the fracture.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: At one time, shoulder replacement was very uncommon, but now, 258 in 100,000 people living in the United States have undergone the procedure. There are now personalized surgical tools and implants that allow you to return to sports and physical activity very quickly. Durability and function come back quickly, and most patients are able to return to their sport of choice.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dan Collins
(410) 332-9714
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
