Chronic shoulder pain from arthritis can make for a long winter, but the sun has come out for Davenport Von Maur retiree, Charlotte Langstaff. Charlotte is back to creating her striking and gaily decorated spring wreaths after successful total shoulder replacement surgery at ORA Orthopedics.
“I endured pain for more than 5 years,” recalls Charlotte.
A heart attack changed everything
“My shoulder hurt when I tried to do anything. The pain kept me awake at night and even masked heart attack symptoms — it was just that painful!”
Diagnosing and treating her heart attack symptoms was relatively straightforward, but the pain in her shoulder continued to be unbearable.
The heart attack served as a wake-up call for her to seek treatment from Hand & Upper Extremity Surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Winston, ORA Orthopedics.
“Both an X-ray and an MRI confirmed that Charlotte was suffering from a torn rotator cuff due to advanced arthritis,” explains Dr. Winston.
To ensure the best possible fit for her new shoulder, Dr. Winston used a CT scan to map Charlotte’s shoulder joint so that the new ball and socket would fit perfectly.
“I was grinding bone-on-bone from wear and tear,” says Charlotte, who recalls how fascinated she was to see a digital map of her shoulder joint. “The whole process was truly remarkable, and Dr. Winston was just wonderful.”
“To prepare, the CT scan creates a custom guide based on Charlotte’s unique anatomy, so when we are in surgery, the 3-D images serve as a type of roadmap — this was especially important in Charlotte’s case because part of her bone was missing,” he says.
A custom fit solution to Charlotte’s problem
“The digital map ensures we precisely insert the implant for a custom fit.”
“I had the surgery on a Friday and went home a couple of days later,” she explains.
“Dr. Winston came to visit me. My arm was in a sling, but physical therapy for about three months over this past winter helped me regain mobility and without pain. I am so grateful!”
Now, Charlotte is back to creating spring wreaths, sewing for friends, and enjoying monthly birthday parties for a group called the “Bling Bling Sisters Birthday Club.”
“We get together every Thursday for a monthly birthday party. I love my friends and like to stay busy. Crafting is a great hobby, and I was so glad to be able to do my Easter wreaths in time for spring.”
“Charlotte is doing well, and it’s wonderful to see her back enjoying her life,” adds Dr. Winston.
“Orthopedic technology has made great strides: the implants now easily last a decade, and we are able to perform more successful shoulder replacements, thanks to the ability to digitally map a patient’s anatomy for a more precise fit.”
For more information on total shoulder replacement surgery, visit ORA’s Total Joint Center of Excellence.
Watch WQAD’s report on how Dr. Winston used digital modeling technology
to ensure the right fit for Charlotte.