There are many types of shoulder replacement ranging from partial replacement and full replacements to reverse replacements.
The indications depend on the type of problem that exists and patient factors.
We are lucky to have some of the best shoulder surgeons in Melbourne. And most do provide some form of technology for shoulder replacements. Most commonly, some form of 3D modelling or patient specific instrumentation is used so that the instruments are built for that particular patient. Other technologies may include augmented reality or robots, but these are new on the market and uncommonly done.
In terms of the type of replacement, most patients with the diagnosis of osteoarthritis will get either a standard anatomic shoulder replacement or a reverse shoulder replacement in Melbourne.
The reverse shoulder replacement uses similar stems but swaps the ball and the socket to provide more stability and avoid the dependence on the rotator cuff for function.
One of the biggest reasons for revision of a standard shoulder replacement is dysfunction of the rotator cuff, causing pain, instability, or dislocation. This is avoided during a reverse replacement. These have become the mainstay of shoulder replacements in the past years. And the Australian Joint Registry shows at the ten year mark, the Zimmer Biomet Comprehensive reverse shoulder replacement has the best survivorship out of all replacements, including standard replacements. This is a proposed solution and can be discussed at the consultation with City Orthopaedics.