Shoulder Osteoarthritis

By Chad Evans, MPT

What Can Be Done For Shoulder Osteoarthritis?

Shoulder pain is not fun. It can significantly impact the ability to perform daily activities, such as dressing, bathing, and cooking. One of the more debilitating shoulder conditions is osteoarthritis. With this condition, the cartilage lining the bones in the shoulder joint begins to thin and deteriorate. This results in shoulder stiffness, pain, and loss of function.

For most patients, the treatment for osteoarthritis begins with conservative management. This usually consists of physical therapy exercises to restore shoulder strength and mobility, activity modifications to decrease shoulder irritation, and medicine to reduce pain. For some, this can make a big difference.  But not all are so fortunate, and some may require surgical intervention. Fortunately, joint replacement surgery is a safe and effective surgical procedure to help reduce pain and improve the shoulder for those suffering from chronic shoulder pain related to osteoarthritis.

Shoulder Osteoarthritis Treatment in Jacksonville

Since the 1950s, physicians have been successfully performing shoulder replacement surgeries. Over the years, these procedures have evolved; however, the main objective is still the same, remove the arthritic joint surfaces and replace them with new components to alleviate pain. As technology has advanced, so have the methods of performing shoulder replacement surgeries.

Dr. William Pujadas of Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute has been utilizing the latest technology for his shoulder replacement surgeries. With the desire to help his patients with the best outcomes, he started using the Biomet Signature Shoulder Glenoid Guide System and, more recently, the Biomet Vault Reconstruction System. These systems use CT imaging and 3D reconstruction technology, allowing the physician to make patient-specific positioning guides better to reproduce each individual’s shoulder’s anatomical alignment when implanting the new shoulder components.  Dr. Bruce Steinberg at JOI San Marco also utilizes this new technology for his shoulder patients.

Vault Reconstruction System 

 

 

With the newer Vault Reconstruction System, Dr. Pujadas feels like he can better serve his patients with bony defects or bone loss in the shoulder. In the past, he found these surgeries more challenging as patients with severe bone loss in the glenoid bone (socket part of the shoulder joint) required augmentation to the bone before implanting the new components of the shoulder. With this system, he can create a patient-matched implant that fills the void in the bone deficient surface, allowing for proper alignment of the new shoulder components.

Shoulder pain does not have to dictate your life. If you are tired of suffering from pain and want some advice for your shoulder condition, please give us a call to schedule with our orthopaedic specialists at JOI.

If you have recently had a shoulder surgery please watch this helpful video: Dressing the Upper Body After an Injury or Surgery

Related Articles: Exercises for Shoulder Pain and Stretches for Shoulder Pain. 

To schedule for Physical Therapy at a JOI Rehab Center, please call 904-858-7045.

To schedule an appointment with a JOI Physician, please call 904-JOI-2000, schedule online or follow the link below.

By: Chad Evans, PT