Shoulder Resurfacing

Knoxville’s Best Choice for Shoulder Resurfacing Surgery in Eastern Tennessee

For some patients, a shoulder replacement is not necessary to treat damage in the shoulder joint. When damage is confined to only the surface of the humerus or the glenoid socket, shoulder resurfacing is a more conservative approach to treatment that maintains the integrity of the shoulder joint while replacing the damaged portion with a new prosthetic surface.

Benefits of shoulder resurfacing over shoulder replacement

There’s no need to replace an otherwise healthy joint if the damage is located only on the surface, which is why shoulder resurfacing is an option typically chosen by younger, more active patients.

Compared to shoulder replacement surgery, shoulder resurfacing surgery has a shorter recovery time and less postoperative pain. There is less trauma to the shoulder joint, and more of the patient’s original anatomy is maintained, which leaves more for a surgeon to work within case future surgeries are needed on the shoulder joint.

Two types of shoulder resurfacing

Depending on the location of your joint degeneration, your orthopedic surgeon will resurface either the head of the humerus or the surface of the glenoid socket. In some cases, both can be resurfaced to restore healthy movement of the shoulder joint.

Who is a candidate for shoulder resurfacing?

Patients who need to alleviate pain and stiffness from the shoulder joint but who do not yet need a total shoulder replacement are typically good candidates for shoulder resurfacing surgery. Shoulder resurfacing is often appropriate treatment for patients with: