A shoulder replacement is required when the joint has been damaged or worn away, usually by arthritis or injury. Every year in the UK over 5,500 people have this procedure. The average age of people who have a shoulder replacement is around 70 years. An artificial shoulder joint can lasts for at least ten years, often for much longer.

Causes

Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint, with the ball at the top of your upper arm moving smoothly in the socket of your shoulder on a lining of cartilage. This cartilage prevents your bones from rubbing together, but it can be worn away by arthritis or damaged by injury making the shoulder joint painful and stiff.