The VA Ortho screen-er Dr. Daniels went over a right shoulder MRI with me last Tuesday. Turns out just about everything that can be wrong with an old guy’s worn out shoulder is wrong with mine – specifically 4 items of concern: 1) Gleno-humeral arthritis (not much cartilage left in the joint). This goes along with the acromioclavicular degeneration diagnosed as a part of my disability rating 13 years ago. 2) Labrum tears, 3) Front tendon tear, and 4) a decent-sized labrum cyst (result of the tears).
So I’ve been referred to the shoulder cutter who will do the surgically technical evaluation and decide what (if anything) he wants to do. I imagine 3 possible courses of action would be considered: 1) Go in arthroscopic and repair whatever can be done now. 2) Accomplish a total replacement now and be done with it, or 3) wait until it gets worse and do the replacement at some future point in time.
Personally, I’d prefer to just get it over with now, but shoulders are tricky – the most complex joint in the body. At this point I’d gladly trade a few months of recovery and rehab for the misery it’s been giving me the last couple of years.