Information for Patients

From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Ask an Orthopaedic Surgeon About Rotator Cuff Tears

Osteoarthritis of the Glenohumeral Joint

by Lynn A. Crosby, MD

Osteoarthritis is a disorder that leads to joint symptoms as a result of a gradual progressive breakdown of articular cartilage that appears to be irreversible. Hypertrophic changes occur at the margins of the joint surfaces and in the subchondral bone. The process usually continues until there is exposed bone at the surface of the joint. It is estimated that approximatelly 21 million Americans have symptoms related to osteoarthritis. Most are 65 years of age or older, and symptoms occur in 60% of men and 70% of women. The precise mechanism is unknown, but there is a general agreement that the destructive progress is mediated by altered chondrocyte activity. Osteoarthritis may exist for years without symptoms. Nonsurgical management options for osteoarthritis include education, physical therapy, medications, and local injections.

A number of surgical techniques can be considered in treating osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint. This article reviews the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint, and discusses the surgical technique of total shoulder arthroplasty in detail. Video is available.

Keywords: arthritis of the shoulder, shoulder osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis of the shoulder, primary osteoarthritis, secondary osteoarthritis, arthroscopic debridement, proximal humeral hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty

If you are an AAOS Member or an OKO subscriber, you can view this topic after log in.

If you are a health care professional who is not an AAOS Member or OKO subscriber, you can get more information about subscribing here. Information for patients and the general public can be accessed through the links in the gray box above.

Back to Menu