Shoulder replacement

A snowHead

Anyone skiing/boarding after shoulder replacement?

I had reverse shoulder replacement 10 months ago , have been advised to give up skiing!

Thinking of using shoulder brace and a D 30 shirt, D30 is impact absorbing.

Any thoughts would be welcome!
thanks

A snowHead

I can't answer your query, sorry.

However I've been skiing for over a decade with a heavily reconstructed shoulder following a fracture/ dislocation. I have limited upward movement and slightly restricted rotation of my lower arm. The main problem I have is that if I fall on my affected side I sometimes need to roll over to the other side to be able to get back up.

The way my musculature works now is quite similar to what I have read about reverse shoulder replacement, with the main upward movement coming from my deltoid, but movement is so restricted here that the deltoid is only really making a small contribution, although it still gets tight after a day of skiing.

I've never felt the need for body armour but perhaps the dislocation risk is higher in your case. My glenoid is not fully located so my shoulder is permanently part-dislocated.

Hopefully you'll be back skiing soon and perhaps my experience might reassure you that a dodgy shoulder is no major impediment to continuing.

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@whakapapa, interesting. I've had 3 shoulder reconstructions but neither a normal nor reverse replacement but it could be to come! I do have a lot of experience/knowledge of the way the shoulder functions though, learnt the hard way through 34 full dislocations.

Reading up on reverse shoulder, I would think the likelihood of dislocation in a fall with the arm abducted and/or externally rotated is much higher than a normal person. I'm not surprised you've been told to give up but ultimately it's a risk factor.

I had a consultation with a world class New York specialist before my last reconstruction and told him I wanted to be skiing in 12 weeks time after a potential arthroscopic repair. His answer was very realistic, "If you don't fall over, skiing is no more risk than going for a walk in the park. Problem with skiing though, is that you can't control what other people do and if they're going to ski into you. I can't recommend it but I understand if you want to take the risk." I thought it was a fair assessment and I think you are in the same position. If you're a good skier, unlikely to fall over, it's more about minimizing the risk through how and where you ski rather than not doing it at all.

As such, a brace that restricts external abduction would be a very sensible precaution. Don't think the D30 vest will make much difference - any impact dislocation will likely be with your arms outstretched in front of you and the D30 won't stop that - it's the force being transmitted up your arm through your wrist to the weak shoulder joint that is the issue. The sully brace http://www.djoglobal.com/products/donjoy/sully-shoulder-stabilizer is the only one I know that will restrict abduction/external rotation so would be my choice.

The last issue, of course, is mental. I carried on working as a ski guide with a recently dislocated, completely torn rotator cuff for 7 weeks until the end of the season one year and I seemed to be magnetically drawn to over balancing in easy situations as I subconsciously tried to protect it. My confidence came back with perseverance, though.

Ultimately it's your life, your choice. Doctors will never recommend it because they don't want to be sued but I don't see it as a fatal risk - worst case scenario is probably a further dislocation or dislodged/broken implant/upper arm with more surgery. If that happens, it probably is time to give up but until then...

Good luck with it.

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Thanks for your input, my injury was originally done in a fall back in 2004, I declined surgery which was a mistake in hindsight as I had 95 % use after exercise and physio. Then in August 2016 fell on shoulder after losing balance , I was standing still, turning to looking uphill !! Fell straight on to shoulder , I knew I had a major problem ! Dislocated shoulder........ Ski patrol had 3 attempts and finally success at Queenstown hospital after 2 attempts to reduce it.
Not even skiing fast or out of control or taken out by someone else! Since surgery I tripped over the coffee table , scrambled on a river bank to stop a salmon going back in the river after landing it........never gave my shoulder a thought it all went out of the window !!! So why not ski carefully?
Have gone with the Flawless Motion Brace here in NZ similar to the Sully. The D 30 is for the occasion when one just falls over to protect the joint.
Have had 2 bluebird days with few people on the field as you say its all about reducing risk . Looking forward to next year now and maybe a trip to the Northern Hemisphere again.
Your thoughts are in line with my thinking, one has to keep on doing what one enjoys.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Too late now but I'm amazed you've needed a reverse shoulder replacement after just a couple of dislocations. Shocked

Thought they were only for people with chronic osteoarthritis/bone loss and/or complete rotator cuff atrophy, which doesn't sound like your situation.

Help!!

Shoulder replacement

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