Can the shoulder joint be replaced?
Yes. Shoulder joint replacement and shoulder resurfacing are well established and can be very successful for several conditions. These are used mainly for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis when severe pain restricts movement and use of the shoulder. In shoulder replacement operations a metal head with a long stem replaces the upper part of the upper arm bone, or humerus (see Figure 4). For some conditions a plastic ‘cup’ is fitted into the socket of the shoulder blade but in other cases this is not needed. In shoulder resurfacing a metal cap with a much shorter stem is fitted over the upper arm bone. This means that much less bone has to be removed. (See arc booklet ‘Shoulder and Elbow Joint Replacement’.
