Surgical options in the treatment of arthritis of the shoulder: alternatives to prosthetic arthroplasty.

Reconstructive options for glenohumeral arthritis revolve around the timing and success of hemi-joint arthroplasty and total joint arthroplasty techniques. The purpose of this article is to discuss the alternative treatment options of shoulder arthritis. Specific options include arthroscopic debridement, synovectomy, capsular release, osteotomy, resection arthroplasty, interposition arthroplasty, and arthrodesis. In the early stages of the arthritic process, arthroscopic debridement, synovectomy and capsular release, may delay the onset of more severe symptoms and degenerative changes requiring a prosthetic reconstruction. However, their role as a definitive procedure is limited. The use of resection arthroplasty and arthrodesis represent salvage procedures used when an implant has failed or become infected. However, function will be predictably diminished.