Surgical Procedures
Shoulder
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. It is made up of three bones:
- humerus - the upper arm bone
- scapula - shoulder blade
- clavicle - collarbone
The ball at the top end of the humerus fits into the small socket of the scapula (the glenoid) to form the shoulder joint. Part of the scapula forms the roof of the shoulder and this is called the acromion. Where the clavicle and the acromion join is called the acromioclavicular or AC joint.
The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles and their tendons that attach your upper arm to your shoulder blade. The rotator cuff stabilizes the shoulder joint allowing you to rotate your arm and to lift it up.
The capsule is a sleeve of ligament tissue that encircles the shoulder joint, joining the humerus and glenoid. The connection with the glenoid is particularly prone to injury.
Disease, injury or 'wear & tear' to these bones, ligaments or tendons may necessitate a range of investigative or surgical procedures leading to reconstruction, repair or replacement.
The main procedures conducted by Canberra Orthopaedic Group specialist surgeons are listed below. They are explained more fully in the surgical info sheets. Simply click on the surgical info sheets link at the bottom of the page to download and read, or print the pdf file.
| Procedure | Purpose |
|---|---|
Arthroscopy | Investigation, diagnosis, treatment. |
| Acromioplasty | This is a decompression (removal of spurs from the acromion) performed for impingement or tendonitis of the rotator cuff. Can be done either arthroscopically or as an open procedure." |
Rotator cuff repair | Tears of the rotator cuff, done 'open' or via an arthroscopic procedure. |
Shoulder Stabilisation | For instability of the shoulder joint (recurrent dislocations or incomplete/partial dislocations) where damage to the attachments of the ligaments needs to be repaired. This can be done as an open procedure or via an arthroscopic method. |
Superior Glenoid Labrum Lesion (SLAP) Repair | Repair of the biceps tendon attachment in the shoulder due to damage from falls and in throwing athletes. |
Capsular release | For Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder). |
AC Joint surgery | Stabilisation for AC dislocation, and excision when the joint is damaged due to injury or wear & tear. |
Total Shoulder Replacement | Performed for damage to the shoulder joint, due to arthritis, or sometimes, injury. If only the head of the humerus is replaced it is termed a hemiarthroplasty. If both sides of the shoulder joint are replaced it is a total shoulder replacement. |
Canberra Orthopaedic Group surgeons specialising
in surgery to the shoulder are:
Surgical info sheets
Frozen Shoulder
[122KB]
Rotator Cuff Repair[130KB]
