Shoulder replacement is done to fix severe physical joint damage. In shoulder replacement surgery, all or part of the glenohumeral joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Damage cartilages, head of the arm bone and sockets are replaced by the artificial components.However some complications may happen like infection, bleeding, shoulder instability, tearing of the rotator cuff, fracture and loosening of the prosthesis.

The actual surgery involves replacing the damaged humeral head (or joint “ball”) with a metal ball, and putting a new smooth plastic surface on the glenoid (called the “socket”).

The average age at the time of surgery was 48.9 years (ages 25 to 55), of which most of the shoulder damage (80.3 percent) was caused by osteoarthritis.

The primary goal of shoulder replacement surgery is pain relief, with a secondary benefit of restoring motion, strength, function, and assisting with returning patients to an activity level as near to normal as possible. Many patients return to the sports they love like tennis, golf, and swimming, while also pursuing personal health initiatives such as yoga and other excersise.