Maurice’s Reverse Shoulder & Lifestyle
Maurice was a baseball catcher in high school and college. Later in life, he played baseball, tossed a football, hit golf balls, went hunting, and motored his RV from Texas to Colorado to hike in the summer and snow ski in the winter. Maurice enjoyed his active lifestyle that put repeated stress on his shoulder. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint where muscles come together as tendons to form the rotator cuff of tissue around the ball or head of the upper arm bone, humerus. When one or more of the rotator cuff tendons is torn, the tendon no longer fully attaches to the humerus head, causing pain and loss of range of motion. Maurice was in pain with limited shoulder function. His general practitioner ordered an MRI, which revealed images of soft tissues, ligaments and tendons, and indicated serious rotator cuff tears. His physician referred him to Direct Orthopedic Care. Dr. Darryl Thomas, the DOC orthopedic surgeon who examined Maurice and reviewed the MRI, recommended a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty with an open rotator cuff repair due to the massive, irreparable rotator cuff tear. After a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, the deltoid muscle powers and positions the arm instead of the rotator cuff. During surgery, Dr. Thomas replaced the ball and socket with a metal ball and plastic socket. In a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, the ball and socket parts of the shoulder joint switch sides. He screwed the ball into the socket side of the joint and secured the plastic socket cup in the upper arm bone. Dr. Thomas and the DOC team called and visited Maurice often in order to manage his after-surgery pain and recovery. Maurice began his rehabilitation with the DOC physical therapist, Robert Killebrew, who specializes in sports injury therapy. The objective of Maurice’s physical therapy is to regain range of motion and strength, taking precautions to not compromise the new joint. Robert has helped Maurice understand that his life will be different, but there will still be life. Maurice is modifying his activity from baseball, football, bowling, and hunting to camping, cruising, and snowshoeing. He wants to discuss future possibilities with Dr. Thomas and Robert about playing golf and downhill skiing.
Maurice recommends DOC for orthopedic injuries: “All of the people at DOC are first-class and the care was thorough and first-rate. There was great follow-up and follow-through. DOC sets the standard for other healthcare practices.”
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