Shoulder Replacement: Surgery and Procedure

Shoulder Replacement: Surgery and Procedure

A shoulder ball replacement surgery is usually recommended to those with severe joint pain and restricted shoulder function. Different types of shoulder replacement surgery aim to resurface the bones in the ball-and-socket joint or the glenohumeral joint. One of the common Shoulder ball replacement surgeries is the total shoulder replacement surgery.

Although joint replacement hospital in Delhi will have a range of procedures to choose from, here’s a step-by-step process to show the most commonly opted for procedure: 

In this type of shoulder replacement surgery, a 6-inch long incision is made on the shoulder along the deltoid muscles. The surgeon then has to cut one of the rotator cuff tendons to access the shoulder joint.

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The humeral head located at the top of the arm bone is then displaced from its socket - scapula or glenoid.

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Using an osteotome, which is a special tool, the surgeons will inspect the humeral neck and remove bone spurs, if any.

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A bone saw is employed to eliminate the humeral head. A humeral stem is then prepared, which is a metal shaft placed a few inches down the humerus.

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Another tool called the reamer is then used to smoothen and sharpen the socket and prepare for the prosthetic stem.

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An artificial socket made of polyethylene helps the prosthetic head with movement.

Using a few pegs and keels, the prosthesis then fits into the natural bone.

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Once the humeral stem is successfully placed at the top, a prosthetic ball would be attached temporarily. The size of the ball depends on the stability.

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The surgeon will then move the shoulder around to check for seamless movements.

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After the examination, the final ball prosthetic will be placed and ease of movement will be checked.

In addition to a Total Shoulder Replacement surgery, we, at Columbia Asia, one of the top Orthopedic Hospitals in Gurgaon, also specialize in:  

Partial Shoulder Replacement Reverse Shoulder Replacement