Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement

Omaha Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement Animation by Dr. Darren Keiser

Description of Surgery

Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Reverse Total Shoulder ReplacementReverse Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery is an outpatient procedure that relieves pain by decompressing the tight space around the rotator tendon of the shoulder joint. The surgeon removes the bursa and trims back the acromion bone to allow for normal pain-free motion. In most cases, this procedure is performed arthroscopically.

Every year, thousands of conventional total shoulder replacements are successfully done in Omaha, Nebraska for patients with shoulder arthritis.

Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery, however, is not as beneficial for patients with large rotator cuff tears who have developed a complex type of shoulder arthritis called “cuff tear arthropathy.” For these patients, conventional total shoulder replacement may result in pain and limited motion, and reverse total shoulder replacement may be an option.

Procedure Information

Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery

A reverse total shoulder replacement works better for people with cuff tear arthropathy because it relies on different muscles to move the arm. In a healthy shoulder, the rotator cuff muscles help position and power the arm during range of motion. A conventional replacement device also uses the rotator cuff muscles to function properly.

In a patient with a large rotator cuff tear and cuff tear arthropathy, these muscles no longer function. The reverse total shoulder replacement relies on the deltoid muscle, instead of the rotator cuff, to power and position the arm.