Dutch posted:Napa Paul posted:I've been reading about all the knee replacements out there, so I thought I'd up the ante a little and show you my brand new bionic titanium "ass-backwards" shoulder. I put Speedie in her storage locker Oct. 1st, poured in some STA-BIL, covered her up and kissed her goodbye until next Feb.
This year's hibernation wasn't because of the usual winter weather; it's because there's no way I'll be turning the wheel (left hand) while shifting (right hand) for at least 16 weeks. Check out the left shoulder x-ray on 10/14/19 and compare it to the x-ray taken 10/16/19.
You Mechanical Engineers out there might notice why the procedure is called a Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
: See how the "ball" head of the humerus was sawed off, replaced with a titanium "cup" driven 6" into the arm bone, ...and a new titanium ball was screwed into the scapula with THREE friggin' 2" titanium screws
- This is why I'm enjoying R&R for such a long time. I had my left hip replaced 5 years ago @ 70, this now at 75, and I've got a tentative appt. scheduled next July for the total replacement of my left knee. Me and Arthur Ritis are on a first-name basis!
Let me know if any of you knuckleheads want an autographed 8X10 glossy @ two for the price of one!
Wow, I just had an MRI done for a fully torn rotator cuff so If the doc can repair it that's one thing, if he cannot, it means a full shoulder replacement like yours. Monday I will find out what direction he will take after he views the MRI. Wishing you all the best and a fast recovery from this shoulder replacement!
Let's hope you've got the torn rotator because 90% of the time THAT can be repaired...and even better, it probably would be done with arthroscopic surgery. That is, MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY consisting of one 1/2" incision and, most likely, in & out in one day. Yeah, you will have 30-45 days of PT rehab....BUT that's the "only way to fly" compared to a total replacement. I had that done about 25 years ago and everything worked and felt fine until about a yr. ago. An MRI showed the OA (osteoarthritis) had grown worse and worse and over the 25 yrs. had abraded all the muscle tissue, the rotator cuff, and everything else that makes the shoulder operate from the topside. A "normal" replacement of the ball and socket would not have lasted any time at all....so I had to go with the Reverse Procedure (MUCH MORE complicated and should be done ONLY by ortho specialists who have done 100's of them). So-o-o, I'll keep my fingers crossed that your MRI shows the rotator to be fixable and there's no further damage to muscle tissue. BTW: I had to have another MRI yesterday (Wed. the 11th) on my RIGHT shoulder. I've been experiencing some pain in that rotator - my specialist took an x-ray and told me the joint looked pretty good 
...so he said the MRI would show if all I "might" need is another arthroscopy - Damn! I hope so! I should know the results by Monday, the 16th. That Arthur Ritis sure is one sumbitch! 