I repeat...this is not a picture of MY prosthetic shoulder joint!
You know the expression "You've got a screw loose?" Well, this is the literal example of that. Boy, not what the doctor or the patient wanted to see. I wonder if the screw came loose, broke off, or was never properly affixed at the time of surgery.
Furthermore, the ball and socket do not appear to be in the proper relationship. It looks as if the ball has migrated upward away from the socket, perhaps because it was not properly anchored. Mostly I wonder if it hurts!
This implant is not exactly like mine. In the US there are about five companies who make nearly all hip and knee implants. I assume that is true of shoulder implants also. Over the years the manufacturers have improved old models and patented new versions but tend to stay close to their original design. Orthopedic surgeons develop a loyalty to one manufacturer or another, usually based on what system was used in their individual training program. Each manufacturer's implant demands it's own individualized set of instruments and tools, too. The cost of the prosthesis is often more than half of the hospital cost for the operation.
Not only is this big surgery, it is big business.
This implant is not exactly like mine. In the US there are about five companies who make nearly all hip and knee implants. I assume that is true of shoulder implants also. Over the years the manufacturers have improved old models and patented new versions but tend to stay close to their original design. Orthopedic surgeons develop a loyalty to one manufacturer or another, usually based on what system was used in their individual training program. Each manufacturer's implant demands it's own individualized set of instruments and tools, too. The cost of the prosthesis is often more than half of the hospital cost for the operation.
Not only is this big surgery, it is big business.
Yikes! Glad this is not a selfie!
ReplyDeleteI bet the surgeon hated to show this x-ray to the patient.
ReplyDelete