Shoulder Arthroscopy Surgery - Treatments and Information

We ask the shoulder joint to do some pretty amazing things. It must move the entire arm, sometimes with great force, in a great number of directions and angles. In order to accomplish this range of motion, the shoulder joint is reasonably complex. It unites the humerus (upper arm bone), the clavicle (breastbone), and two other bones called the scapula and the acromion. Because of the tasks that the arm must perform, the joints between these many bones get a workout. Overtime they can become arthritic and inflamed which leads to pain and decreased range of motion. In order to diagnose and treat disorders of the shoulder, orthopedic surgeons perform shoulder arthroscopy.

 

 

Shoulder arthroscopy is similar to other arthrocopic procedures in that a small camera is introduced into the joint so that the surgeon can see all surfaces. The patient is placed under general anesthesia and, in the case of a right shoulder arthroscopy for example, the patient is positioned on his left side with his arm held up at a 45 degree angle relative to the body. The surgeon makes a stab incision at the shoulder, from the back and a trocar or tunnel is inserted. The tunnel that is formed in the shoulder joint allows the camera and surgical instruments to be used for shoulder arthroscopic surgery.

 

The amount of detail that is revealed during shoulder arthroscopy is impressive. While it may seem like a small area, the spaces of the joint are fairly large. This joint space is maximized by properly positioning the arm. This large joint space affords orthopedic surgeons the opportunity to perform various interventions.

 

A common arthroscopic shoulder surgery is acromioplasty. The acromion is a common source of arthritis even though it usually does very little for the function of the shoulder joint. During an acromioplasty, the acromion is shaved or cut off by tiny orthopedic surgical tools introduced through the trocar. The fragments of bone can be removed through the same port.

 

Shoulder arthroscopy can also be used to repair tears in the muscles of the shoulder. The rotator cuff, comprised of four different muscles, is a common site of trauma and overuse injuries. For example, football quarterbacks and baseball pitchers commonly develop rotator cuff tears. Arthroscopic shoulder surgery can be done to repair the torn muscles and ruptured tendons.

 

Because only small holes are formed in the arm—about the width of a pencil—the recovery arthroscopic shoulder surgery recovery is much faster than it would be if it were an open surgery. Depending on which arthroscopic shoulder surgery is performed there may be a certain period of rehabilitation and physical therapy in order to bring full movement back to the joint. In general though, arthroscopic shoulder surgery yields fast and very favorable results for the patient.

 

Patients should note that occasionally an arthroscopic shoulder surgery must be converted to an open surgery. This determination may not be made until the shoulder is visualized arthroscopically because it is not always apparent from X-ray and MRI films. Patients should be conseled about the possibility of converting to open shoulder surgery and the longer recovery times associated with that approach before having arthroscopic shoulder surgery