What is shoulder arthritis?

This post is part 1 of my posts on shoulder arthritis.

Arthritis is the abnormal wearing down of cartilage in the joint.  Cartilage is the smooth, protective layer that acts like a cap at the end of bones in joints.  The complete cause of the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is still unknown.  We believe that it is a combination of genetic and activity related factors.  The other type of arthritis is called inflammatory arthritis and may include rheumatoid arthritis.  

Arthritis in the shoulder is normally between the ball of the humerus and the socket of the shoulder blade.  Patients can also get arthritis between the shoulder blade and the collar bone, called AC joint arthritis.

Stay tuned for my next posts about the diagnosis and treatment of shoulder arthritis.

Shoulder arthritis