Shoulder and elbow care
Crystal Clinic is certified by The Joint Commission in total shoulder replacement surgery, and our world-class orthopedic shoulder specialists are skilled in treating all types of injuries and conditions affecting the shoulder and elbow. They will develop a customized shoulder treatment plan just for you, which may include non-surgical treatment options to reduce pain and improve your range of motion, such as physical therapy, medication or injections with steroids or platelet rich plasma (PRP).
Our shoulder and elbow surgeons are trained in the use of minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder surgery techniques, which are often used for rotator cuff tears, recurrent dislocated shoulders, and impingements. Our shoulder specialists have also developed a rotator cuff surgery technique that reinforces the repaired tendon with donor tissue to improve healing, pain relief and shoulder function, while reducing the risk of re-tearing. When performing total shoulder replacement surgery or reverse total shoulder replacement surgery, we use a computerized navigation system to further ensure extreme precision and control for optimal and faster shoulder surgery recovery.
Salvatore Frangiamore, M.D., M.S.
Fellowship-Trained in Shoulder and Sports Medicine Surgery
Board-Certified
Common Conditions Treated
Everyone relies on their shoulders for everyday tasks that require, pushing, pulling and lifting. It’s no surprise then that when shoulder pain strikes, it can be debilitating. Whether you’ve suffered a sports-related shoulder injury or normal wear and tear, shoulder pain can keep you from doing the things you love.
At Crystal Clinic, our orthopedic shoulder physicians treat a wide range of both common and complex shoulder problems, including these frequently seen shoulder conditions:
Arthritis of the shoulder,
which causes inflammation, shoulder pain and shoulder stiffness. This condition is aggravated by activity and progressively worsens. One of the most common symptoms of shoulder arthritis is limited range of motion.
Shoulder pain,
can be caused by an acute shoulder injury, arthritis, tendon inflammation (bursitis or tendonitis), fractures, instability or shoulder impingement. Also referred to as swimmer’s shoulder, tennis shoulder or rotator cuff tendinitis, shoulder impingement is an inflammation of the tendons and muscles between the bones in the shoulder.
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis),
this condition causes pain, stiffness and progressive loss of motion in the shoulder. Dull or aching pain over the outer shoulder area is usually worse early on and when moving the arm.
Fractures or breaks in the bone,
can be caused by injuries or diseases such as osteoporosis or cancer. Another type is a shoulder stress fracture caused by overuse or repetitive motion.
Rotator cuff tears,
are common causes of symptoms including shoulder pain, grating or cracking sounds when moving your arm, limited arm movement and muscle weakness. Rotator cuff injuries may occur from lifting a heavy object or suffering a traumatic fall, but most develop over time due to the wear and tear associated with aging.
Shoulder instability / shoulder dislocation,
which occurs when the upper arm bone slips out of the shoulder socket. This can occur from a sudden injury or overuse. In some people, shoulder instability can become a chronic problem.
Innovative Treatment Options
Crystal Clinic is on the cutting-edge of the latest shoulder surgery techniques and nonsurgical approaches for treating shoulder and elbow conditions, including the latest advancements in total shoulder replacement that leverages the sophistication of computer-navigation.
Our innovative treatments include:
Total shoulder replacement,
which replaces the damaged parts of the shoulder (the ball, socket or both) with prosthetic components. Total shoulder replacement surgery or reverse shoulder replacement surgery may be recommended if your shoulder pain hasn’t responded to conservative, nonsurgical treatments.
Computer-navigated shoulder replacement,
provides extreme accuracy and precision in shoulder replacement surgery. The advanced computer navigation technology used at Crystal Clinic is surgeon-controlled and integrates with innovative surgical instrumentation to allow for precise alignment of the prosthetic shoulder implant. It also helps your surgeon create an individualized surgical plan based on your the unique anatomy of your shoulder. This technology may be recommended if you have an extremely small shoulder socket, or if your bone has excessively or asymmetrically eroded from severe arthritis or a previous shoulder fracture.
Reverse total shoulder replacement,
is especially beneficial if you have a torn rotator cuff that has damage too extensive to be repaired. This reverse shoulder replacement surgery procedure is also effective if you have a shoulder fracture or when previous shoulder surgeries have failed. Unlike conventional total shoulder replacement surgery where the prosthetic ball and socket joint emulate normal shoulder anatomy, with reverse total shoulder surgery, the ball and socket are switched in position.
Minimally invasive surgery (arthroscopy),
uses a small tube-like instrument with a camera permitting surgeons to perform a shoulder operation on the interior of a shoulder joint without the need for large, more invasive incisions. This arthroscopic shoulder surgery requires much smaller incisions which, in turn, promote quicker healing, faster shoulder surgery recovery and less scarring. Arthroscopy can treat many conditions, including arthritis, rotator cuff tears, recurrent shoulder dislocations and impingements.
Elbow replacement,
is a form of elbow surgery that may be recommended for severe arthritis or for an elbow fracture requiring replacement of the damaged parts of the ulna and humerus with metal and plastic components.