Had a nasty fall at BPW last July. Broke my shoulder into a few pieces. The pieces were close enough together that it was decided to let them knit without intervention / surgery.
I then had ‘minor’ surgery in January this year to get rid of scar tissue around the joint to free it up a bit.

Anyway, I’ve just opened a letter from my consultant which says my latest MRI shows bone deterioration (necrosis) – so it is likely that I will have shoulder replacement in a few years. Feeling a bit sick with the news if I’m honest. A shoulder (or any joint) replacement in mid-thirties is not a good outcome. Main thing is that I have 2 young kids and how it might impact not being able to ride or mess about with them.

Not looking for sympathy though, I know many people go through a LOT worse.

Just wondering if anyone here has experience similar, or knows anyone that has?
What has it been like dealing with it? Is it as bad as it sounds?

I would try and focus on getting your shoulder as strong and mobile as possible in the mean time to attempt to increase the number of those years. You never knw what advances may happen along the way.

Have a search for World Class Accident’s ankle thread. Different joint, similar problem. You’re right, it could be a lot worse. At least you will still be able to play footie with the kids.

I’m currently awaiting treatment proposals for a couple of snapped tendons in my shoulder from a diving mishap.

My knee replacement was “due” before my 30th. I’m rapidly approaching 50 and only recently started to get the twinges that indicate that it might need doing in the next 5-10 years (according to the doctor). Plenty of strength, stability and flexibility work worked wonders.

Sitting at my desk/in meetings using a resistance band probably didn’t do promotion prospects any good……

One of my boy’s rugby coach had a knee replacement in his early forties. Up and about within a week, eighteen months later you wouldn’t know. He’s back at the gym pushing ridiculous weights and looks great. Main difference as far as he can tell is the lack of pain from the old (real) knee. As someone else has mentioned, medical technology is improving all the time.

As above good physio intervention now can both delay the need for the operation as well as increase the chances of a favourable outcome when (if!) you do eventually have one.

My understanding of shoulder replacement is this:
– There is no typical patient
– Your range of movement post surgery depends on what type of procedure you have
– Try not to get too hung up on your age- I appreciate that it’s far from ideal however having a joint replacement at a young age often equates to higher post surgery function.

It’s ok to ask the health professionals dealing with your case (doctors, physios, radiographers etc) for more info. Don’t be shy, the NHS can be a very busy place but the people who work there will want to help so it’s always worth speaking up! 🙂

pulls up a chair

I had a nasty OTB about 4-5 years ago and burgered my shoulder good and proper. Didn’t feel it bad enough to warrant A&E so made a docs appointment – after waiting 3 weeks there was a little improvement so I foolishly cancelled the appointment and carried on with gentle stretches to try to increase the range of movement. Took about 9 months before I was able to lift my arm and reach behind my back but since then it’s always felt unstable and the slightest off has me back to square one. Over the last 6 months or so it’s begun waking me at night, feeling as though something is trapped and as it has been progressively getting worse I made a docs appointment to try to get to the root of the problem only to be told that aches and pains are to be expected at my age, our bodies aren’t designed for excessive exercise and as it’s unlikely to improve I was prescribed a shed load of Ibuprofen 🙁 I refuse to believe that at 57 this is how it’s gonna be now (trivial I know compared to a lot of folks, but I get very little sleep and bike fettling has now become a chore and not a pleasant pastime) so I’ve made another appointment for a second opinion.

Low intensity pulsed ultrasound may be worth looking into, and asking your consultant about.

I had a shoulder replacement on my right side in October 2012, following getting knocked off my road bike in October 2011, I was 41 when it was replaced.
I smashed the ball of the humerus, causing a lot of pieces of bone to break off, then bone necrosis set in, I also broke the neck of the humerus as well.
The accident also caused the ball to sit partially dislocated due to the misshapen ball.
My initial consultant was very conservative and didn’t want to operate, I managed to change consultant to Mr Potter at Northern General hospital in Sheffield, who decided surgery was the only choice, and it should have been done straight after the accident
Due to soft tissue damage due to the late operation I’ve had considerable problems with my shoulder, including a bicep tenodesis, and I’m still in pain and have very restricted movement
Mr Potter thinks these problems wouldn’t have happened if I’ve been operated on straight away.
I’d advise you to get a referral to see Mr Potter, or another well respected shoulder specialist as soon as possible
If necrosis has set in, get it do as soon as possible, as the best condition bone stock will lead to a better outcome
I know someone who had the replacement surgery 12 years ago following a American football accident, as he was operated on straight away he’s made a really good recovery and has virtually 100% movement and no lose of strength long term

Realise its all rather scary and would be best if the problem had never happened.

However you should try to be grateful they can offer solutions at some point in the future. What sort of activities and games would you be playing with your kids, in fact what kind of life might you have, if your shoulder bones continue to die and are left to break and crumble?

You are so lucky to have a repair option available to you at all. Some people get ill or damaged so much they dont live to see their kids, let alone play with them. On those terms, thinks not looking so bad for you, so take comfort from that.

Given how the NHS is being destroyed on ideological grounds, I would suggest you start financially saving to be able to pay for a future operation (seriously, not a joke) as no medical insurers will touch a pre-existing condition with that kind of major expense attached to it. I suggest you find out how much a private op costs to get some kind of feel for future monetary planning and also some extra allowance in case anything goes wrong during or after the op (gets expensive fast).

Best of luck. I am sure your operation option will be massively more positive and beneficial than you seem to think right now. Just ask anyone with a hip replacement how it has improved thier life.

Mamadirt……you sound like you have a frozen shoulder (capsulitis). Often occurs after other shoulder injuries and lack of movement in the joint…….I speak from my current experience re your description of the pain. I’ve about recovered from the two tears in my rotator cuff back in March at Antur but still not fully recovered from the subsequent frozen shoulder. Stretches/physio will be painful but you have to push yourself or end up potentially with a life limiting shoulder movement or an Op to stretch the capsule again. The only real fly in my ointment is I may have a tear in the cartridge too which is causing me pain/limitation in putting on and taking off clothes/jackets or putting stuff in my pocket and zipping it up…..just waiting on MRI now but hoping I heal without surgical intervention.
I don’t envy the OPs dilemma but if it was me and I was young I think I would rather seek the best in the business for their input/ getting it fixed. I am on the side of keep what you have and build it up as best you can unless it’s limiting your life with the kids etc, then probably best to have it replaced.

you sound like you have a frozen shoulder (capsulitis).

No it doesn’t, it sounds like she has damaged some of the stabilising structures around her shoulder whatever they may be.

Also – frozen shoulders are generally self limiting. Which means they get better by themself eventually.

My instability was due to weakness caused by the muscles deteriorating, the physio has actually stabilised it well with no more slopping of all the joint and all it’s add on bits and now my shoulder blades sitting back up where it should be.
As for the frozen shoulder getting better by itself…the physio/dr etc made it quite clear that it wouldn’t and could end up with permanent stiffness and lack of movement.

Yeh, definitely feels unstable – cheers both. Still have a couple of weeks to wait before my appointment – trying to keep it mobile with light resistance band exercises.

As for the frozen shoulder getting better by itself…the physio/dr etc made it quite clear that it wouldn’t and could end up with permanent stiffness and lack of movement.

Meh – what do drs and physios know.

Big thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I’ll definitely work on the the physio side of things to keep it as strong as flexible as possible.

Other stories also helps me put things into perspective.

Hey, crazybaboon mr potter screwed my proximal humerus back together too, back in 2007!
He made a good job and I escaped the a vascular necrosis.

As for the frozen shoulder getting better by itself…the physio/dr etc made it quite clear that it wouldn’t and could end up with permanent stiffness and lack of movement.

I’m glad to hear that you have had success with stabilising your shoulder, although I’m sorry to hear of your ongoing issues. As above frozen shoulders generally do resolve themselves, however you may be one of the unlucky few who don’t. However I’m a little surprised that your physio/dr etc were so certain of this. Maybe there is something they know that we don’t? I would be tempted to ask if I was you, just to make sure.

Mr Potter came very well recommended, he’s worked on Ben Swift, Dean Downing and David Millar!

And my next door neighbour, and my mate Dave.
All cycling related shoulder injuries. You’ll have met Val the amazing physio as well I presume?

Climbing websites/sources could be worth a look for help about increasing/maintaining shoulder stability, iffy shoulders can be a common problem amongst climbers due to the loads imposed.

Best of luck, healing is what bodies do best when we’re still pretty young, your body won’t be as frail as if you were in your 70’s. 🙂

I’m only 35, but looking at other people it can seem we need to build strength into our bodies while the going is good, before we get too aged and decrepit to have good/best rewards for our efforts.

Shermer75 unfortunately my faith in the first use of NHS for physio etc has been piss poor overall to say the least….only just now having been referred back for an MRI when all along I’ve constantly said it felt like their was bone or something feeling like it was blocking certain movements…..I know it was a sports injury by someone who’s old enough to know better but maybe if my GP had actually sent me for an early ultrasound/X-ray/scan of some sort it would have not dragged on being an unnecessary drain on physio that someone with a worse injury needs.
And as I broke the ball in the other shoulder when I was younger I know the feeling of bone/something blocking the joint before anyone asks 😆

Ok Suggsey no worries, I just wanted to make sure that you aren’t suffering unnecessarily. As I’m sure you know having a frozen shoulder is no fun at all, and when you said that they told you that it definitely wouldn’t get better it made me think that either:

a) they haven’t told you the whole story

or

b) you should begin to look for a second opinion.

My reason for thinking this is that it is unusual to be so certain (and pessimistic!) about something that isn’t 100% predictable, like adhesive capsulitis.

Some good info here

Shermer75, maybe my post was misleading…it was stated that it left untreated it could lead to permanent stiffness/limited movement….
And I wish I hadn’t read that link, my grandmother on my fathers side had Duptyrens thingy, and my good old dad handed down the diabetes to me too and I do have a number of nodules in my hands already one of which aggravates trigger finger in my ring finger along with other benign bone growths (one visible on my forehead) so guess on the basis of genetics I’m screwed on more than one front…… Just hoping it’s not bone and is just a flap of cartilidge that flattens or dissolves of its own accord…….it’s shite getting old 😆

Docrobster, I’ve had many quality hours with Val over the years, she’s amazing