Shoulder Resurfacing

There are three types of shoulder replacement:

Shoulder Resurfacing - When the humeral head (ball) is replaced with a resurfacing prosthesis, the socket (glenoid) of the shoulder is not. The socket of the joint is usually not replaced in shoulder cuff tear because of the high potential of component loosening and failure in this condition after surgery in a highly active patient.

Total Shoulder Replacement - When both the head and the socket are damaged, they are replaced by prosthesis.

Reversed Prosthesis - A reverse shoulder arthroplasty involves placing the ball component on the glenoid (glenosphere) and the cup component on the humerus; this is opposite of the normal anatomy but helps to stabilize the shoulder.