Medical Disclaimer
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
🚨Emergency? If you have severe symptoms, difficulty breathing, or think it's an emergency, call 000 immediately.
Reverse Shoulder Replacement (Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty)
Reverse shoulder replacement is a specialized joint replacement surgery where the ball and socket of the shoulder are switched from their normal positions, designed for patients with severe rotator cuff tears and arthritis (cuff tear arthropathy) or complex fractures in elderly patients - the reversed design allows the deltoid muscle to lift the arm instead of the torn rotator cuff, providing excellent pain relief (90-95% success) and functional improvement in patients over 65 years old.
📖What is Reverse Shoulder Replacement (Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty)?
Reverse shoulder replacement is a specialized joint replacement surgery where the ball and socket of the shoulder are switched from their normal positions, designed for patients with severe rotator cuff tears and arthritis (cuff tear arthropathy) or complex fractures in elderly patients - the reversed design allows the deltoid muscle to lift the arm instead of the torn rotator cuff, providing excellent pain relief (90-95% success) and functional improvement in patients over 65 years old.
🔬What Causes It?
- Rotator cuff tear arthropathy (massive irreparable rotator cuff tear combined with shoulder arthritis)
- Failed previous rotator cuff repair with persistent pain and weakness
- Complex proximal humerus fractures in elderly patients (3-4 part fractures that can't be fixed)
- Failed previous standard shoulder replacement (revision surgery for complications)
⚠️Risk Factors
You may be at higher risk if:
- Age over 65 years (reverse shoulder replacement designed for older patients)
- Long-standing massive rotator cuff tear (chronic tears lead to arthritis over time)
- Previous failed rotator cuff surgery (repeat tears or non-healing repairs)
- Severe shoulder arthritis with rotator cuff deficiency
- Inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) with rotator cuff involvement
🛡️Prevention
- ✓Treat rotator cuff tears early (prevent progression to massive irreparable tears and arthritis)
- ✓Maintain shoulder strength and motion with regular exercises
- ✓Manage arthritis with medications and injections before it becomes severe
- ✓Avoid overhead heavy lifting if you have known rotator cuff tear (reduces progression risk)