New shoulder surgery to ease arthritic pain

A new concept in shoulder bone conservation now offers arthritis patients the chance to lead fuller, more independent lives.

Developed in the UK over five years ago, Surface Replacement CAP has now found its way to Mumbai. On Saturday, orthopaedic surgeon and arthroscopist Dr Sanjay Desai, who is also the secretary of the Shoulder Society of India, and professor Federico Grassi, one of Italy’s leading orthopaedic surgeons specialising in shoulder replacement surgery, launched the technique and demonstrated its use at Jaslok Hospital.

Unlike traditional joint replacement surgery, in which a part of the bone has to be cut and a stemmed implant used, the Surface Replacement CAP technique uses an implant which helps preserve the bone and natural tissues. Meant for patients with arthritis or humeral head fractures, the procedure is especially viable for younger, more active patients. “Surface Replacement CAP can be effective up to 15-20 years. Even after the CAP wears off, the procedure is easier to revise than the traditional shoulder replacement,” said Dr Desai.

In the case of knee and hip joints, resurfacing has already become a popular alternative to total replacement. With the Surface Replacement CAP, resurfacing can now be done for shoulder joints as well. The implant, shaped like a cap, is a single component made from cobalt chrome which has bio-functions similar to the tissue which wears out during arthritis. It is designed to allow surgeons to retain as much healthy tissue and bone as possible. The CAP implant is cement-less and uses the patient’s natural tissue growth for fixation. The sandpaper-like porous coating allows the patient’s tissue to naturally grow onto the implant. What doctors call biological tissue in-growth, or biological fixation.

Costing upward of Rs1.5 lakh, the procedure is available at Breach Candy, Jaslok and Bhatia hospitals.