The shoulder is a complicated joint and any injury or problem in this joint can hamper your day-to-day activities. With the evolution of technology in the field of medical science, many treatment procedures are introduced in this sector to treat shoulder problems and help patients regain good functionality. One such treatment method is Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty. Let’s discuss more on this topic here.
What is reverse total shoulder arthroplasty?
Shoulder replacement can be a great option to treat arthritis but the case is not the same with large Rotator cuff tears. The rotator cuff may also become non-functional in long term arthritic shoulders. In such cases, Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty is an effective surgical treatment procedure and can improve the range of motion as it uses different muscles to move the arm.
Usually, in a shoulder replacement surgery, the surgeon tries to recreate the actual anatomy of the shoulder with the help of the implants. Herein, a cup is fixed in the shoulder socket. Furthermore, a metal ball is attached to the humerus. On the other hand, in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, the placement of the cup and the ball is switched and hence “reverse” word is added in the name.
The prime advantage of this treatment procedure is the fact that the centre of rotation is stimulated inferiorly and is medialized. It allows the deltoid muscle to align and sync with a longer fulcrum and provides more mechanical advantages for damaged rotator cuff muscles. Furthermore, it enhances shoulder abduction.
When do you need reverse total shoulder arthroplasty?
- In case suffering from Cuff tear arthropathy, antero-superior escape, or pseudoparalysis,
- Experiencing shoulder dislocation, severe rotator cuff tear
- Failed shoulder replacement surgery
- A complex fracture (proximal humerus fracture)
- No response of the body on the non-surgical treatment procedure
- Presence of a tumour in the joint
What should you expect?
This surgical process will be performed like other shoulder surgeries by making some incisions and implanting some man-made components to get back the shoulder mobility. The complete procedure may take around 1-2 hours. Usually, a patient is able to move his elbow and wrist soon (next day).
Your shoulder pain will not vanish suddenly after surgery and you need to follow a rehab plan for complete recovery. After the surgery, you may experience a relief in pain but have to work on the mobility and strengthening of the tissues. There may be some preventive measures that your surgeon will recommend you to follow. Moreover, you may be advised to take some sessions of physical therapy. So before going for the surgery, you should discuss the complete rehabilitation pan and timeline with your medical expert. If you are looking for an experienced shoulder surgeon in Gurgaon, then you can contact Dr. Reetadyuti Mukhopadhyay. He has many years of experience in treating shoulder problems and will try his level best to help you in getting rid of shoulder pain as soon as possible.