Shoulder Arthroplasty Details
Your shoulder is made up of three bones, namely humerus (the upper bone of your arm), scapula (the shoulder blade), and clavicle (the collar bone). The scapula has a cavity called glenoid cavity which assists the humerus to fit in it. The humerus has a ball shaped end and it fits into the socket shaped glenoid cavity. This is the reason for calling this joint a ball and socket joint. The round head of the humerus and the bone of the glenoid cavity never touch each other and are separated with the help of cartilaginous tissue which helps in effortless movement of the joint. When the cartilage gets damaged due to arthritis or any other reason, doctors place implants or prosthesis into the area to facilitate movement of the joint. This procedure is known as shoulder arthroplasty.