Young patients with shoulder arthritis often delay shoulder replacement as there is concern over the longevity of the replacement and difficulty with revision of the shoulder years later. There are many strategies for helping these patients.
First and foremost, we try to help them manage the pain and decreased function with conservative therapies.
However, in the shoulder, unlike other joints, the patients can wait too long and erode the bone on the socket side to the point where anatomical replacement is no longer an option. Therefore, we are developing options that will allow for easier revision options down the road. One strategy is bone preservation.
The stemless humeral components allow orthopedic surgeons to avoid placing a long stem into the humeral canal and preserve the bone just in case they have to have a revision years later. Young patients with shoulder arthritis stay tuned for options for the glenoid (socket side).
See below for the full surgical video.
The images below display a total shoulder with the traditional “stemmed prosthesis” vs. the “stemless”.
