Reverse Shoulder Replacements are giving hope to patients with severe shoulder problems.

Ruth Mutchler's favorite pastime was painting, but her severe shoulder pain was preventing her from painting a drop, that is until she received a reverse shoulder replacement. "I couldn't raise my arm, it was constant pain. He performed a miracle."

Orthopedic Surgeon Todd Atkinson explains that unlike in a standard shoulder replacement where doctors replace the joint with a metal implant, reverse shoulder replacements rebuild the joint with the ball and socket reversed to create a smooth surface. "Now you have a smooth plastic rubbing up against smooth metal instead of rough bone rubbing up against rough bone, and then the way the shoulder is reversed it keeps the ball down in the middle of the shoulder joint where it's supposed to be."

Dr. Atkinson says that reverse shoulder replacement surgery is typically performed on older patients with a history of rotator cuff problems or, degenerate arthritis after the surgery, they're said to recover rather quickly. "I'll keep people in a shoulder sling for about four weeks, after that I'll let the patient come out of the sling and they can do whatever they want."

Most patients can get back to doing everyday activities they almost lost, something Ruth could not be more thankful for. "Having my shoulder replaced is the best thing I've ever done in my life."

We're happy to report she's a pretty good painter, so it's nice to see that she's painting again. One of her first paintings after her surgery? The subject's a rose for her doctor.

The technique can be used to treat younger patients, but they may face additional surgery, as the new joint tends to wear out.