Shoulder arthritis is generally an inflammatory change between the head of the humerus and the articular glenoid.
It is usually due to long-term chronic strain, resulting in localised pain, restricted movement, peeling of the cartilage surfaces and exposure of the bone. It is not usually curable and requires active local heat and physiotherapy.
Magnetic resonance imaging is required to determine the extent of damage to the cartilage surfaces and the extent of bone exposure. In cases of severe shoulder arthritis, such as necrosis of the humeral head and complete destruction of the cartilage surfaces of the articular glenoid, shoulder arthroplasty is required to improve the function of the shoulder joint.