Monday, August 11, 2025

Return to swimming by a woman after single stage revision for Cutibacterium PJI

Here are the x-rays of an active woman in her 60s with degenerative arthritis and a Simple Shoulder Test of 5/12.




After a discussion of the options and in consideration of her active lifestyle, she elected to proceed with a ream and run procedure in order to avoid the potential risks and limitations of a prosthetic glenoid component.

At her six weeks check her shoulder was a bit stiff in spite of her great rehabilitative effort; she elected to have a manipulation under anesthesia and complete muscle relaxation - a full range of passive motion was achieved.

Four months after the ream and run, she returned with a much improved shoulder and these x-rays

Note the impaction grafted stem and the conservatively reamed glenoid, now with a radiographic joint space between it and the prosthetic humeral component.

Five months after her surgery she was swimming at Coogee beach, the site of the famous "shark arm case (see this link)".


 and kindly gave us permission to show her swimming form here.

Three years after her ream and run she developed a painful, stiff shoulder without an obvious cause.

Because of our high suspicion for a periprosthetic infection we elected to explore her shoulder. The joint fluid was cloudy and a synovial biopsy showed papillary hyperplasia, fibrosis, and mixed acute and chronic inflammation with focally greater than 20 neutrophils per high power field. The humeral component was mildly loose and surrounded by a membrane. A single stage exchange with thorough debridement was followed by a course of intravenous antibiotics. Two weeks after surgery her intraoperative cultures were positive for Cutibacterium.

Three months after the single stage exchange she was back swimming. 

Fifteen years after her single stage revision she reports "I hope you are well too! It’s been great.  Swimming and pilates seem both to be very very good for the shoulder.  Got good strength and range of motion.  Thanks again."

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Here are some videos that are of shoulder interest
Shoulder arthritis - what you need to know (see this link).
How to x-ray the shoulder (see this link).
The ream and run procedure (see this link).
The total shoulder arthroplasty (see this link).
The cuff tear arthropathy arthroplasty (see this link).
The reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (see this link).
The smooth and move procedure for irreparable rotator cuff tears (see this link)
Shoulder rehabilitation exercises (see this link).