Shoulder arthritis is the gradual wearing away of the smooth cartilage that lines the ball-and-socket joint, leaving bone rubbing on bone and causing pain, stiffness, and grinding.
A healthy shoulder glides on a smooth cartilage surface. In arthritis that cartilage thins and wears away, so the bones grind together — producing pain, stiffness, and loss of motion. The most common type is osteoarthritis (simple wear over time), but it can also follow an old injury (post-traumatic), come from rheumatoid arthritis, or develop after a large, long-standing rotator cuff tear (called cuff-tear arthropathy).
The type of arthritis and the health of your rotator cuff strongly influence which treatment — and which kind of replacement — is right for you.
Especially in early arthritis, symptoms can be managed for years without surgery:
When pain limits your daily life despite good non-surgical care, joint replacement is highly effective. The right type depends largely on your rotator cuff: an anatomic total shoulder replacement when the cuff is intact, a reverse replacement when the cuff is deficient or arthritis is from a cuff tear, and the ream-and-run as a replacement-sparing option for select younger, active patients. Dr. Hachadorian will review your imaging and goals to recommend the best fit.
Explore your replacement options or schedule an evaluation.
It means the cushioning cartilage is largely gone, which explains the pain and grinding. It does not mean you automatically need surgery — many people manage well for a long time with therapy, activity changes, and injections.
Rarely. Surgery is elective and based on how much the pain limits your life, not on the X-ray alone. We typically exhaust reasonable non-surgical options first.
Modern replacements commonly last 15 years or more, and often longer. Your activity level and the type of replacement affect longevity.
Because the right choice depends on your rotator cuff and bone. Matching the implant to your anatomy is what produces a durable, pain-free result.
This page is for general education and is not a substitute for an in-person evaluation. Your specific diagnosis and treatment plan should come from Dr. Hachadorian based on your exam and imaging.
