January 3, 2005
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Physician Performs Cutting-Edge Procedure
Reverse Ball and Socket Replacement Could Provide Hope to Bay Area Patients
Colin Eakin, M.D., a physician with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's (PAMF) Department of Sports Medicine, brought a revolutionary procedure to Bay Area residents, on Friday, December 17, when he performed a reverse ball and socket shoulder replacement prosthesis on a patient at the Menlo Park Surgical Hospital. The procedure, developed by Paul Grammont, M.D., in Dijon France, in 1987, gives hope to patients who previously had no other options.
"The rotator cuff is needed for patients to have a normal ball and socket function in their shoulder joint," said Dr. Eakin. "Patients with rotator cuff tears that are beyond repair and have developed shoulder arthritis were previously not good candidates for regular shoulder replacement surgery."
Dr. Eakin added that in the French surgeon's unique design, the "ball" becomes the socket and the "socket" becomes the ball. This arrangement prevents the humerus bone in the arm from sliding up off the glenoid, or socket.
"It truly is a remarkable innovation," said Dr. Eakin of the procedure that was first used in Europe and has been making its way to operating rooms in the United States. "We believe this to be the first reverse ball and socket replacement performed on the Peninsula."
Dr. Eakin credits his extensive knowledge of shoulder replacement technologies and updated procedures to his training with Richard Hawkins, M.D., during a fellowship in Vail, Colorado, and his participation in meetings of the American Shoulder and Elbow Society. He gained first-hand exposure of the reverse ball and socket shoulder replacement prosthesis through the company that manufactures the device.
"PAMF will likely become a regional referral center for the technique," said Dr. Eakin. "It is estimated that as many as 80 percent of individuals over 70 years of age have rotator cuff tears. Not all of these require treatment; however, many of them enlarge to the point where the shoulder function is lost. This procedure could provide hope to many individuals in our area suffering from this condition."
The procedure would typically be performed on elderly patients whose rotator cuff tears are so chronic and large that they are beyond repair and cause them to develop arthritis in their shoulder. These patients will now have the option of having this cutting-edge procedure performed locally.
The procedure, which has a three-month recovery, can allow patients who have lost nearly all function at the shoulder to regain active movement and elevation in the arm.
Dr. Eakin is the head of PAMF's Department of Sports Medicine. He received his M.D. degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1991, where he also completed an internship and residency. He is currently on the clinical faculty at Stanford University. He has been a team physician for the Stanford University men's basketball team and the San Francisco Giants.
For more information about the procedure, contact Dr. Eakin or the Department of Sports Medicine at PAMF, (650) 853-2943 or visit www.pamf.org/sports.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in both multispecialty group practice of medicine and outpatient medicine. The foundation has three divisions: the Palo Alto Division, the Camino Division and the Santa Cruz Division. The Palo Alto Division, staffed by 290 physicians of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, has provided a full range of care for Peninsula residents since it was founded in 1930. It operates satellite clinics in Fremont, Los Altos, Redwood Shores and Portola Valley. PAMF is part of the Sutter Health family of not-for-profit hospitals and physician organizations that share resources and expertise to advance health care quality. Serving more than 100 communities in Northern California, Sutter Health is a regional leader in cardiac care as well as care of women and children, and is a pioneer in advanced patient safety technology. For more information, visit www.pamf.org.