Dramatic Rise in Shoulder Arthroplasty (Orthopedics This Week)
Shoulder Arthroplasty Exploding
John Sperling, M.D., M.B.A. is professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic. We recently caught up with him at a shoulder arthroplasty course he was teaching in Chicago. He tells OTW, “We continue to see a significant growth in interest in shoulder arthroplasty; we are seeing this at the residency level, fellowship level, as well as among practicing orthopedic surgeons. One of the primary drivers of this trend is that the technology is better than ever, and the recognition of the extraordinary benefits shoulder arthroplasty can have on the quality of life for our patients. Orthopedic surgeons, as well as primary care physicians, are recognizing that shoulder arthroplasty can consistently deliver pain relief and restoration of function.”
“The main driver in shoulder arthroplasty over the past decade has been the introduction of the reverse arthroplasty—it has truly revolutionized our practice. The results of the reverse arthroplasty have been very encouraging. The reverse provides an important option in treating patients with rotator cuff insufficiency, four part proximal humerus fractures, as well as cases with significant glenoid bone deficiency. The percentage growth in shoulder arthroplasty has been much higher than in hip or knee arthroplasty because of the widening spectrum of shoulder pathologies that can potentially benefit from this procedure. With this benefit, shoulder arthroplasty is now being performed in younger patients. Therefore, one area that holds promise in the future is the development of bearing surfaces with better wear properties. Our goal now is to have these advancements translate into longer life for shoulder implants.”