Shoulder Surgery Doesn't Prevent Return to Sports

Study shows athletes and weekend warriors can keep playing after shoulder
joint replacement

KEYSTONE, Colo., July 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Replacing a joint in any
part of the body often leads to a long recovery process and the possibility of
not being able to return to a sport or activity. However, a new study
presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM)
Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, (July 9-12) presents findings that even
an older individual who receives a total shoulder joint replacement can return
to full participation within approximately six months of surgery.

"In our study, approximately 94 percent of the patients who have a total
shoulder arthroplasty or joint replacement, were able to return to sports and
85 percent were able to return to the type-specific sport they were involved
in before the surgery," said lead author, Gregory N. Drake, DO, shoulder and
elbow fellow, Fondren Orthopaedic Group, Texas Orthopaedics Hospital.

The study analyzed a database of all unconstrained total shoulder
arthroplasties performed between July 1, 2004 and September 30, 2007 by a
single surgeon. A questionnaire was sent to 304 patients with 165 responding.
Eighty-seven of the respondents regularly participated in sports prior to
surgery. The average age of the patients was 68.5 with an age range from
47-93. Patients were followed for a minimum of one year.

Researchers noted that activity modification until the six month point in the
rehabilitation protected the shoulder against any consequence of sport, such
as a deceleration injury when a golf club hits the ground or a fall during a
tennis match. Contact sports after joint replacement surgeries are generally
discouraged for the rest of an individual's life, no matter their age.

"Eighty-eight percent of the individuals in our study returned to their
activity levels for periods greater than 30 minutes per session with the same
type of intensity. It also appears that the most likely reason for returning
to the same level of participation is dependent on the motivation of the
individual. Athletics can be a great motivator for surgery and an even greater
one for patients to stick to a rehabilitation schedule," said Drake.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader
in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and
includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The
Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including
athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to
improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of
sports injuries.

Additional information and press releases can be viewed in the AOSSM newsroom
at http://www.sportsmed.org.

SOURCE American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine

Lisa Weisenberger of AOSSM, +1-847-292-4900, lisa@aossm.org