The most common type of shoulder arthritis is osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease. This is caused when cartilage is worn away after years of use.
Shoulder arthritis typically affects patients over the age of 50. A history of shoulder injury increases the risk of arthritis.
Shoulder arthritis is often characterized by:
An Orthopedics & Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic specialist will discuss the history of your condition and conduct a physical examination. X-rays are necessary to identify arthritis in the shoulder, but an MRI also may be obtained.
Nonsurgical treatment options include but are not limited to:
If nonsurgical treatments do not reduce pain and restore quality of life, our orthopedic surgeon may recommend a total shoulder replacement or a partial shoulder replacement.
If shoulder arthritis is combined with a torn rotator cuff, our orthopedic surgeon may recommend a reverse shoulder replacement. This is a way to address both the osteoarthritis and torn rotator cuff tear in one surgery.
Our goal is to restore each patient’s desired quality of life by creating individualized care plans to reduce pain, improve mobility, reduce the likelihood of further injury and return people to their normal activities as quickly and safely as possible.
OrthoInfo from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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