Reverse Total Shoulder
A reverse total shoulder replacement is in fact a type of shoulder replacement. It is used for people that have chronic rotator cuff tears with severe shoulder arthritis, a problem commonly referred to as rotator cuff arthropathy. Sometimes it can be used for severe fractures as well. In this pain relieving procedure the ball is placed where the socket used to be and the socket is place where the ball used to be! It does work and serves to restore motion and relieve most if not all pain in the shoulder.
Keeping Bodies in Motion (352) 596-0900
Candidates for Surgery – AAOS recommendation
Reverse total shoulder replacement may be recommended if you have:
- A completely torn rotator cuff that cannot be repaired
- Cuff tear arthropathy
- A previous shoulder replacement that was unsuccessful
- Severe shoulder pain and difficulty lifting your arm away from your side or over your head
- Tried other treatments, such as rest, medications, cortisone injections, and physical therapy, that have not relieved shoulder pain
Before any shoulder replacement is done it is absolutely necessary to get good xrays of the shoulder. However, it may be necessary to get a CT scan to delineate the amount and quality of bone in the shoulder. Similarly, it may be necessary to get and MRI of the shoulder to assess the integrity of the rotator cuff. With all this information the orthopedic surgeon can then make the correct decision on which shoulder surgery to do for the patient: hemiarthroplasty, traditional total shoulder replacement, or reverse total shoulder replacement.
This procedure is accomplished through an incision on the front of the shoulder in what is termed a deltopectoral approach. This is a versatile approach to the shoulder and is frequently used for fractures, replacements and muscle / tendon reconstruction surgery. The scar can be covered by a short-sleeved shirt and is usually well-tolerated.