Shoulder Replacement......?

Greetings fellow climbers,  I'm curious how many older climbers out there have or are considering shoulder replacement. I'm an aging life long climber.  My shoulders are kinda hammered and if anyone has any incite on the recovery limitation after recovery, etc. or other  experiences. 

Cheers JN

As a long time climber/orthopedist I’d be really hesitant to climb anything remotely hard after a total shoulder. The big problem with shoulder replacements is loosening of the socket and unfortunately climbing type forces will definitely tend to speed that up. 

Ken Duncan wrote:

As a long time climber/orthopedist I’d be really hesitant to climb anything remotely hard after a total shoulder. The big problem with shoulder replacements is loosening of the socket and unfortunately climbing type forces will definitely tend to speed that up. 

Thanks, Ken. I have a partially-frozen shoulder from osteoarthritis (DJD) and was told a shoulder replacement was my best option. I was also told (this was 15 years ago) that I shouldn't climb after a replacement because I could.do damage to the replacement. That's why I haven't done it. 

Good to hear that still holds true.

Paging George Bracksieck! cant climb? nonsense.

T Roper wrote:

Paging George Bracksieck! cant climb? nonsense.

Could climb but if you push it the chance of loosening certainly goes up and revision total shoulders don’t do nearly as well as the primaries. 

A retired physician, that I occasionally work out with in our gym, had a shoulder replacement and seems to be doing fine.  

If I bump into him, I will mention this thread and see if I can get him to post.

I had a partial replacement on my shoulder eight years ago and have no problems with it.  My surgeon only replaced the head of my humorous and not the socket.  He said that I would wear out a new socket in just a couple of years.  Apparently, the socket replacement isn't titanium like he put on my humorous.  My socket was pretty worn down but it is OK with just the head of my humorous being replaced.  My surgeon is a rock climber too so he knew what kind of stress gets put on things.

I was out of commission from climbing or lifting weights for only three months (45 years old at the time).  The biggest problem I have is that I waited too long for the surgery and slowly loss my range of motion in that shoulder.  I never noticed it happening though.  Now, I am having similar problems with my other shoulder.  The pain gets pretty bad so I don't move it like I should and I see that I am starting to lose the range of motion in that shoulder.  I am paying more attention to it now than I did on my first shoulder though and will have to get it replaced soon before I screw up that joint and lose too much range of motion.

Based on my experience, I would recommend getting it replaced if you can get away with only a partial replacement.

Have I been lurking here that long? Yes, I've had two totals and one revision. I wouldn't be climbing today if I hadn't. Finding the right surgeon is important.  

I don't climb as hard as I did 20 years ago, but that's because of unrelated shoulder injuries, other injuries, and old age.  I'm weaker and three and a half inches shorter than I was. And yet I just climbed four days in a row. 

My Father both shoulders replaced and one replaced two times. I think of all his joint replacements (bilaterally replaced up and down), the shoulders were quite honestly the hardest.  He said me, I find that once replaced, the pain is nothing compared to what it was prior. That being said, rehab is critical on how much range of motion you get. I definitely ended up with limitations.

George Bracksieckwrote:

Have I been lurking here that long? Yes, I've had two totals and one revision. I wouldn't be climbing today if I hadn't. Finding the right surgeon is important.  

I don't climb as hard as I did 20 years ago, but that's because of unrelated shoulder injuries, other injuries, and old age.  I'm weaker and three and a half inches shorter than I was. And yet I just climbed four days in a row. 

George, who was your surgeon?

Nora F.wrote:

George, who was your surgeon?

David Weinstein in Colorado Springs revised my right shoulder in 2005 and replaced my left in 2008. He saved my right shoulder from a botched replacement done in 2004 by Jon Erickson. I’ve since put a lot of miles on each shoulder. In the last couple years, each has shown signs of loosening.

Another surgeon said, two years ago, that I shouldn’t climb anymore. I have continued to climb, although I don’t disagree with his assessment.

I am convinced that getting my shoulders replaced by a good surgeon was worth doing. Doing so is adding at least 20 years to my climbing career. Let me know if you have further questions.

Btw I sold you Bongs four years ago. How did those work?

  Thanks for the bongs! The bongs were fabulous; the rock not so much. Got scared and backed off the project. So it's back on the tick list for whenever I get the itch to scare myself again. Apparently, I'm making steady progress on hammering my shoulders, though. I need a replacement on the right after two 'shoulder preserving' surgeries at Steadman Clinic Vail. [Aren't they supposed to be the best?] I still struggle with a very limited range of motion. I climb, but I know I shouldn't. I could use another 20 years to work on my tick list.  

I am surprised Dr. Weinstein is still in clinical practice. If he operated on you about 20 years ago, I need to hurry to get in before he retires.

Nora F.

I had one of my shoulders done by Dr. Hackett at the Steadman Clinic, and he was the absolute best.  I know other friends who say the same.  Sorry you had a bad experience there. . . 

Thanks, Steve! I heard about Dr. Hackett’s successes after I had already established care with another surgeon at Steadman. I am sure they applied their best judgement at the time. I am weighing getting a consult with Dr. Hackett. It would be logistically easy given that they have my records and the insurance stuff is already worked out.
Did you regain decent range of motion and strength again after your replacement?

Nora F.

I regained everything after my surgery with Dr. Hackett.  I was not able to have my left shoulder done by him, and the Dr. in Lakewood/Golden didn't do nearly as good a job.

I still have weakness in my left shoulder--but don't climb any longer due to arthritic hands and back problems.  Good Luck!

Nora F.wrote:

Thanks, Steve! I heard about Dr. Hackett’s successes after I had already established care with another surgeon at Steadman. I am sure they applied their best judgement at the time. I am weighing getting a consult with Dr. Hackett. It would be logistically easy given that they have my records and the insurance stuff is already worked out.
Did you regain decent range of motion and strength again after your replacement?

Just wanted to reply to this since I recently saw Dr Hackett myself. Great guy and amazing team and can't say more positives about Steadman and that clinic, but he no longer does TSR surgeries. I'm 44 and have pretty bad osteoarthritis that's manifesting in muscle spasms that send me to the ED because they're so painful. I'm getting my MRI done Nov 18th at Steadman and will be seeing another surgeon, Dr Millett (who has an incredible resume and I'm told is just an awesome dude). Both him and Dr Provencher came highly recommended

I also found out that Dr. Hackett is no longer doing total shoulders. I am getting a new joint now from Dr. Weinstein. Let's compare when we are on the other side of this!