Home > Shoulder > Shoulder Arthritis
Overview
Arthritis is a disease of joints characterized by the progressive loss of cartilage. There are many types of arthritis. Degenerative arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis are the most common types. As cartilage wears away, joints can become stiff, swollen and painful.
Arthritis of the shoulder is not as common as arthritis of the knees and hips. Shoulder arthritis increases with age and appears to affect women more than men. Studies estimate that approximately 30% of people over the age of 60 have arthritis of the shoulder.
Nonoperative Treatment
Nonsurgical treatment for arthritis of the shoulder include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications and injection therapy. Injections used include steroids (cortisone) and viscosupplementation. Viscosupplementation (gel injections) are currently not covered by most insurances for osteoarthritis of the shoulder.
Surgical Treatment
Surgical treatment for osteoarthritis of the shoulder include arthroscopic debridement, hemiarthroplasty and total shoulder replacement.
Total shoulder arthroplasty has the highest success rate of the above options. Shoulder replacement is the third most common joint replaced after the knee and hip.