What is Shoulder Resurfacing, really?

After suffering a shoulder injury or disease, the variety of options available for recovery treatment are abundant: physical therapy, platelet and stem cell procedures, or surgery just to name a few. Recover from a shoulder injury is particularly tricky due to the constant daily use.

For the purpose of brevity (since there’s a lot happening out there in Columbus), this blog serves to compare two different types of shoulder surgery available: total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and total shoulder resurfacing (TSR).

Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
The essence of this surgery is to replace a shoulder joint that has been damaged by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or a shoulder fracture. When all other conventional recovery methods have been tried and failed, a shoulder replacement is necessary for full function. TSA replaces the ends of the bones in the joint that has been damaged with a metal ball, plate and screw. The recovery from this surgery is slow. Averaging 6 weeks of limited activity followed by at least 3 months of intensive therapy and strength training.

Total Shoulder Resurfacing
TSR is performed for the same reasons as TSA but typically targets younger, more athletic middle age and older patients. TSR is generally the same procedure, but Dr. Kovack has perfected the surgery to make it less bone invasive and is an outpatient procedure. The metal ball and screw are still placed, but there is no large plate that dives into the humerus bone. This allows for a quicker recovery: stretching begins the day of surgery, formal therapy begins 10-14 days after surgery, and full strength recovery starts 2-2.5 months after surgery.

If you’re suffering from arthritis or a shoulder fracture and you live in Columbus, OH, give Dr. Kovack a call to chat more about TSR.

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