Your surgeon will evaluate your health history, perform a physical examination, and take x-rays to diagnose your shoulder pain.
- Medical history
- Symptoms
- Health
- Activity
- Examine affected joint
- Range of motion tests
- Joint-line tenderness
- Joint deformities
- X-rays
An x-ray will help your surgeon diagnose your shoulder pain. On an x-ray, a healthy shoulder joint appears as if there is a space between the bones in the joint. Although you cannot see the cartilage on an x-ray, in the healthy shoulder, the cartilage is working to cushion and smooth the movement of the humerus (upper arm bone) against the scapula (shoulder blade). On the x-ray of a shoulder with osteoarthritis, there is bone on bone contact because the cartilage between the humerus and scapula has been worn away.
When non-surgical treatments such as diet, exercise, medications, supplements, and physical therapy fail, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend total shoulder replacement.
You should discuss your condition and treatment options with your surgeon.
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