Don?t shrug off shoulder pain

Total shoulder replacements are as safe as swapping out hips and knees, Hopkins researchers reported. Patients who undergo full shoulder replacement can expect fewer complications, shorter hospital stays and less cost than hip or knee replacement patients, according to an article online in the journal Clinical Orthopedics.

“Lower numbers of shoulder procedures done both regionally and nationally may indicate that many people live with shoulder pain because they fear that the corrective surgery is too risky,” wrote Dr. Edward McFarland, director of adult orthopedics at Hopkins. “This is just not true.”