The shoulder has the widest range of motion of any joint in the body, and pays for it with reduced stability. Most of its conditions are treated arthroscopically today, while replacement is reserved for advanced arthritis and complex fractures.
Through incisions of a few millimetres, rotator cuff tears are repaired with suture anchors, instability after dislocation is stabilised by repairing the labrum, calcium deposits are removed in calcific tendonitis, and the capsule is released in frozen shoulder when conservative treatment has been exhausted.
Anatomic arthroplasty replaces the humeral head and glenoid with implants that mimic normal anatomy, and is indicated when the rotator cuff is intact. When the cuff has failed, reverse arthroplasty inverts the geometry of the joint and uses the deltoid to elevate the arm — a solution that transformed the outlook for patients who previously had no option.
The shoulder is demanding after surgery. A period of protection in a sling is followed by passive, then active range of motion, and finally strengthening. The timeline runs to three to six months, and consistency in physiotherapy counts as much as the operation itself.
Persistent shoulder pain that wakes you at night and has not settled after six weeks of conservative care deserves imaging.
to guide you about your condition, to choose the best possible treatment.
