Patrick Denard compares partial and total shoulder replacements. Total replacement offers better pain relief and longer implant survival, with most patients feeling substantially better within 3-4 months. Partial replacement takes about 18 months for full recovery because it only addresses one side of the joint.
Another question is, how do the results of a complete shoulder replacement compare to a partial replacement? I kind of spoke about this earlier, but the bottom line is you see that both types of replacements work, but with a partial replacement, you don't get as good of pain relief. So when you look at head-to-head, a partial replacement versus a total shoulder replacement working on both sides of the joint, you actually see better survival, the implant, better outcomes, and long-term follow-up. The additional thing you see is that with a partial replacement, because you're just working on one side of the joint, it's a slower recovery compared to to a total shoulder or complete shoulder replacement, meaning working on both sides of the joint. So for instance, 18 months on average for full recovery with a partial replacement. When you're talking about a complete shoulder replacement, you're really talking about complete pain relief in 3 to 4 months, maximal recovery at 6 months.
