Dr. Michael Gross and Shoulder Surgery

Michael Gross, M.D.
Orthopaedic surgeon with the Alegent Health Orthopaedic Institute

Every year, an estimated six million Americans see a physician for shoulder problems, ranging from chronic or occasional pain to sprains, strains and more. Your shoulders play an important part in your life, supporting essential activities such as reaching and throwing.

That's why Stan Keiser made the decision to get help from Dr. Michael Gross, orthopaedic surgeon with the Alegent Health Orthopaedic Institute.

At Alegent Health, Dr. Gross is leading a national study on shoulder replacements. Medical centers all over the country are working together…testing out this new technique. The goal is to give patients a new shoulder that will last the rest of their life.

"I was lucky to find this doctor," says Stan.

Shoulder pain can be related to arthritis, inflammation, or rotator cuff injuries.

Arthritis is wear and tear that causes the cartilage surface on the ends of the bones at the joints to wear down and come into painful, direct contact with each other. This occurs in rheumatoid and degenerative arthritis, tears to your rotator cuff tendons, or shoulder fractures or breaks.

Another cause of shoulder pain is injury to the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff, a group of muscles, ligaments and tendons that surround and help protect the bones helps keep the shoulder's ball and socket joint in place, is responsible for helping you reach, throw, push, pull and lift. If injured, the full shoulder functioning needed for your normal work or sports activities can become extremely difficult and painful.

Common treatments include anti-inflammatory medications, exercise and therapy to help strengthen the muscles, and in cases where these treatments fail to bring the pain to a manageable level -- surgery.

Dr. Gross says his goal is to give patients a new shoulder to last for the rest of their lives. "My hope is that the first operation is the last one - I want these to last a lifetime."

For more information, visit the Alegent Health Orthopaedic Institute.