What is shoulder resurfacing, and how does it differ from total shoulder replacement?
What is shoulder resurfacing, and how does it differ from total shoulder replacement?
Shoulder resurfacing is much like hip resurfacing. The ball part of the shoulder is smoothed (made back into round) with a shaping tool. A metal shell of the exact natural size is then placed on the bone to recreate a completely smooth new humeral head. A similar shaping and placement of a new surface is performed for the shoulder socket (glenoid). The shoulder is put back together and then it will function typically in a completely normal fashion.
During a shoulder replacement the ball part of the joint is entirely removed and replacement with an artificial ball that is held in place with a spike (stem) inside the shaft of the upper arm bone (humerus).
A resurfacing procedure is a less invasive procedure and it will have more functional capability than a shoulder replacement. Both procedures reliably reduce pain and increase function.