Bowling Orthopaedics

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Shoulder

Shoulder injuries affect the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other soft tissues of the shoulder joint. They can be minor or serious. Most shoulder injuries result from everyday wear and tear, overuse or the natural process of aging. Symptoms of shoulder injury may include pain, swelling, numbness, changes in temperature or color, or changes in range of motion. Treatment options range from medicine and physical therapy to surgery. Procedures at Bowling Orthopaedics include:

Anatomic Shoulder Replacement

In this variety, the glenoid (socket) is resurfaced with a polyethylene surface of same size and shape. The humeral head is replaced with a metal ball and stem.

Advantages to both the Anatomic shoulder replacement and the Reverse shoulder replacement include decreased pain and potential increase in functional range of motion.
Return to work depends on the type of work to be performed. Patients in jobs with low physical demand may be able to return to work in two to four weeks (in a sling). Those in high physical demand jobs requiring lifting may need to be out of work for up to three months.
Usually, patients will return to normal daily activities around three months after surgery, with only mild pain. Typically, most patients are pain free around six months after surgery.
Job modifications may be necessary depending on the type of work performed. Vigorous lifting and manual labor jobs should be avoided after shoulder replacement. Sports activities requiring vigorous throwing motion of the arm, hammering, heavy lifting, pushing activities and rough contact sports should be avoided.

Reverse Shoulder Replacement

In this option, the socket is resurfaced with a partial ball or glenosphere. The humeral head is resurfaced with a conforming polyethylene “socket” which is placed onto the stem and inserted into the proximal humerus. Because the “ball” is now on the socket, and the “socket” is now on the humerus, the term “reverse” was coined.

Rotator Cuff Repair

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons in the shoulder. These four muscles are the supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus, and teres minor. The muscles form a cuff around the shoulder joint and attach at the upper portion of the arm (humerus). These four muscles help to elevate and rotate the arm. The muscles also help to stabilize the ball of the shoulder joint (humeral head) in the socket of the shoulder (glenoid). Rotator cuff injuries create pain at night and with movement, and may also cause weakness depending of the severity of the condition. Rotator Cuff pain is usually the result of inflammation of the tendon (tendinitis) or from a tear. Treatment options including medication, injections, physical therapy and surgery are generally directed based on the condition of the rotator cuff.