Orthopedic Specialties: Shoulder

Shoulder Anatomy

Shoulder Anatomy

Shoulder Care from Ortho Rhode Island

Overview

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of three bones: the humerus (upper arm bone), the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone). It’s the most flexible joint in the body, making it susceptible to instability and injury. Our specialists understand the impact shoulder conditions can have on your quality of life, and through a variety of treatments ranging from medication to surgical intervention, work to return patients to the daily activities they value most.

Our Approach

We believe in patient-centered care that emphasizes your unique symptoms, diagnosis, and lifestyle. By building a relationship of understanding and communication with our patients, we empower you to make informed decisions that will help restore your mobility and get you back to doing what you love.

Our specialists will work with you to develop a comprehensive care plan that fits your treatment goals. We approach this individualized care conservatively, exploring minimally invasive treatment options like anti-inflammatory medications and the use of braces before recommending surgical intervention.

Leadership in Innovation

We believe the marriage of technology and medicine leads to safer, more effective treatment for healthier, happier patients. As a leader in emerging orthopedic technology, Ortho Rhode Island is pioneering state-of-the-art orthopedic tools and techniques:

BioCartilage Procedures  •  Superior Capsular Reconstruction  •  Outpatient Total Shoulder Replacement  •  3D Templates for Shoulder Arthroplasty

Shoulder Specialists
Related Blog Posts

July 26, 2023/ Shoulder / Nathan Howlett

Shoulder Cortisone Injections: What You Need to Know

Shoulder pain is a common problem that can be caused by a variety of factors including a tear in a tendon of the rotator cuff, a tear of the labrum, arthritis of the glenohumeral joint (ball and socket), arthritis of the acromioclavicular, inflammation of the tendon or bursa and frozen shoulder. Cortisone injections are a common treatment option for shoulder pain.

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June 7, 2023/ Shoulder / Dr. J. Winslow Alford

Motion is Lotion! Immediate Mobilization After Stable Rotator Cuff Repairs

The videos below demonstrate a typical rotator cuff tear before (vid1) and after (vid2) a repair. The key features of these videos are that the repair takes advantage of the native bone’s ability to provide growth factors and other blood-born, glue-like properties to firmly cement the repair in place. In addition, the repair construct has strong fixation medially, which establishes the anatomy of the repair which is strengthened by lateral anchors which drape the sutures over the repair - like bungie cords on a roof rack. This produces a strong repair, with a large surface area for robust healing and early motion.

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July 27, 2022/ Shoulder Sports Medicine / Stacie Brzoska

Rotator Cuff Tears

Some patients have tears in their RTC that have been there for years but they are still able to reach above their head as their body has compensated for the mobility usually using the deltoid. These patients may be able to reach above their shoulders and head but will have very little strength. Not all rotator cuff tears....

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March 16, 2022/ Physical Therapy Shoulder / Dr. J. Winslow Alford

Shoulder GIRD: Mechanical Imbalance from Internal Rotation Loss

Over the years of helping people recover from shoulder surgery and injuries, I’ve noticed an under emphasis on regaining symmetric internal rotation of the shoulder joint, which is key to achieving healthy balanced shoulder mechanics. On a very basic level, this is measured by our ability to raise our thumb behind our back up to our shoulder blade (scapula). Most of what we do with....

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January 20, 2022/ Shoulder / Nathan Howlett

I Need a Reverse Shoulder Replacement, What Should I Expect?

The reverse shoulder replacement allows your shoulder to work by modifying the physics of the shoulder. It moves the shoulder’s center of rotation down and allows your deltoid muscle (the large muscle that you feel on your shoulder) to do the work that your small rotator cuff muscles and tendons used to do. This gives you a painless and functioning shoulder despite having a rotator cuff tear! Over the past...

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November 24, 2021/ Shoulder / Elizabeth Cook

Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)

Adhesive capsulitis, also known as “Frozen Shoulder”, is a condition that causes pain, stiffness and eventual loss of range of motion in the shoulder. Secondary to pain, our natural response is to use the shoulder less and less to avoid discomfort. Over time, due to...

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September 16, 2020/ Shoulder / Nathan Howlett

Shoulder Replacement: What you Need and Want to Know!

When most people hear of “joint replacement” they usually think about hip and knee replacements. However, injuries of the shoulder and progressive arthritis can also damage the shoulder requiring a “shoulder replacement.” If you’ve ever been recommended a shoulder replacement or have been told that you may need one in the future, you are in the right place to get more information!

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June 19, 2018/ ORI Blog Rotator Cuff Surgery Shoulder / Dr. Keith Monchik

Dr. Keith Monchik joins the #BETTER #FASTER Podcast

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December 14, 2017/ Hand Therapy Knee Pain Physical Therapy Shoulder Tendonitis / Dr. Jeffrey Kozlik

Kinesiology Tape: Fake, Fad or Functional?

I remember when kinesiology tape exploded in popularity across the United States. It was during the 2008 Summer Olympics and the popular women’s beach volleyball team of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor were battling their way to another gold medal in Beijing.  At the time, Kerri Walsh was recovering from a rotator cuff injury and was using kinesiology tape to support her shoulder during ....

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