A stemless anatomic shoulder replacement
This was the first occasion on which Dr Cutbush used the Simpliciti anatomic total shoulder system, made by Wright Medical / Tornier.
What bone preserving means
A conventional shoulder replacement anchors the humeral component on a stem that extends down inside the shaft of the humerus. A stemless design such as this one fixes into the upper end of the humerus only. For a patient with good bone quality, it allows preservation of proximal humeral bone.
Retaining that bone is generally regarded as useful in the longer term, because any future operation on the shoulder has more bone to work with than it otherwise would. Whether a stemless design is suitable depends on bone quality: it relies on the bone at the upper end of the humerus being strong enough to hold the implant, which is not the case in every shoulder.
Planning software in theatre
The blueprint planning software was displayed on the monitors in theatre during the procedure. This meant the pre-operative plan, which sets out the intended position and size of the components based on the patient's CT scan, could be reviewed and adjusted during the operation rather than being worked from memory. Having the plan visible alongside the surgical field is a practical improvement on referring to printed images.
How it performed
The system functioned as intended during the procedure. As with any implant, the relevant question over time is how it performs across a series of patients rather than in any single case, and the choice of implant for a particular shoulder is made on the basis of that shoulder's anatomy and bone quality.
Related information
See our anatomic total shoulder replacement page for how the operation works, shoulder arthritis for the condition it treats, and our post on understanding the risks of total shoulder replacement.