Why was an alternative to shoulder replacement surgery necessary?
The interesting thing is that with patients who are younger who have arthritis, it can be very difficult because most replacement surgeries won’t last forever. This surgery preserves more of the patient’s normal anatomy, and the hope is that it will provide longevity for patients, with the knowledge that no replacement will last forever. If this does wear out, you can go back and do a more standard replacement procedure. Q: Is it for patients of all ages? A: It has been used in younger and older patients. In some of the studies where they have looked at resurfacing versus total replacement, you definitely get a lot better, but it’s not quite as good as someone with a total shoulder replacement. They have a cut-off in the literature of around 50, 55. With patients younger than 55 who have arthritis, we’ll do this. They want to be active. Q: How long does the total replacement last? A: Survivalship has been about 84 percent at 20 years, whereas for resurfacing, it’s down in the 75 percen
