Mr Barrett's blog celebrates 21 years of the Modular Shoulder System
In the first of our series of blog posts we hear from Mr Matthew Barrett, a Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon with a special interest in shoulder and elbow surgery based in Dorset County Hospital. He has been using Lima Corporate’s SMR Stemless for eight years and shares his experiences of using the system to support his patients.
Shoulder arthroplasty is a well-established surgical procedure to replace all or part of the shoulder joint. How we as surgeons go about choosing a replacement or prosthesis will vary depending on the type and complexity of patient cases we come across. Choosing the right solution tailored to your patient’s anatomy or bone quality is not always straight forward.
A replacement or prosthesis that provides versatility and the ability to respond to a patient’s needs and biology is a key component to consider when choosing a solution. One of the decisions surgeons might make is around whether to go with a stemmed implant or a stemless solution. A stemless prosthesis is bone preserving and leaves more options available for any revision surgery that may become necessary further down the line.
Initially, I used a mixture of stemless and stemmed shoulder arthroplasties. However, over the last few years, I’ve become more comfortable with using Lima Corporate’s SMR Stemless system. It’s become my go-to for nearly everything, particularly the anatomic stemless system. While the solutions need to be considered on a case-by-case basis, I find the SMR Stemless to be simpler overall. It reduces the amount of time patients spend in theatre and can also speed up recovery time. This is beneficial both in terms of patients’ experiences and clinical outcomes as well.
The SMR Stemless system is also designed to offer a range of solutions, so I feel I have options to choose from when it comes to appropriately selecting for my patients' anatomy and have more scope to make changes down the line should I need to. For example, if a patient required a change to their humeral implant, the SMR Stemless system provides me with the flexibility to convert this to a short or standard stem. In contrast, if I were to use a stem in the first instance, my options for a revision – if needed – would be more limited and more involved.
The simplicity of the stemless design, both in terms of process and instrumentation, has also made it a preferred choice for the theatre staff who work alongside me. However, the biggest selling point for me is Lima Corporate’s platform system, which gives me the range of options I need and provides consistency across the whole platform. Despite thorough planning and preparation, things can change and you need options available, which a platform system offers.
Alongside this, Lima Corporate values knowledge-sharing and education across the orthopaedic community and provides opportunities and tools for newer and more experienced surgeons to learn and develop their skills. For example, the company offers opportunities to gain more exposure to surgeons who use the reverse system on a regular basis who can show people that it really does work.
Our role as orthopaedic surgeons is to help restore patients’ mobility, reduce pain and improve their overall wellbeing. Lima Corporate’s SMR Stemless system offers simplicity and versatility, which makes it easier for me to support patients and tailor solutions that fit their needs and anatomy.
For more information about SMR Stemless visit our website here: https://limacorporate.com/en/discover.html
