A year ago, Tonia Logan couldn’t throw a ball or lift her sheets to cover up at night.
Now, thanks to shoulder surgery at Rush, she can do things she hasn’t been able to do in 10 years.
Always an active person, Tonia enjoys boating and playing softball. But pitching and her other activities took a toll on her shoulder. She says she wore her shoulder out.
“I was pretty hard on it,” she admits.
Tonia had been under care for shoulder issues for years and had previously dislocated both shoulders. However, her pain increased dramatically when she tore her labrum, the cartilage in the shoulder. At that point, Rush orthopedic surgeon Arif Saleem, MD, who sees patients in Aurora, told her the time had come for surgery and performed a partial shoulder replacement.
Now Tonia only wishes she’d had the surgery sooner.
“l am amazed at how it's working,” she says.
A common procedure
Shoulder replacement is becoming a more popular procedure because of the new implants and materials now available, Saleem says.
While the average age for shoulder replacement is 60 to 70, Tonia was a candidate for a unique partial replacement due to her young age. She was only 48 and underwent a pyrocarbon hemiarthroplasty that offered improved biomechanics for her shoulder. Tonia successfully recovered in six months, which included four months of physical therapy.
Tonia coaches girls’ softball, and her players are benefiting from her experience. She teaches them “how to pitch healthy,” including muscle-strengthening exercises and pitching with their whole body.
Enjoying new abilities
Tonia hadn’t realized how long her shoulder pain had been affecting her. She recently watched a video of herself from 10 years ago. She was on a tube and paddling with an oar — but using her left arm because she couldn’t use her right.
“I couldn’t hug someone with both arms or hold a baby because I was afraid I would drop them,” she says. Now she can, and she’s taking full advantage of her new abilities.
“I’m a positive person and I love spreading joy,” she says. This year, she made Christmas brighter for her older neighbors by hanging Christmas lights on their outside trees. She could use a pole and stand on a ladder — all with no pain.
“My quality of life is so important to me,” she says. “I’m so thankful for what Dr. Saleem did. He’s amazing and very personable.”
Although she recently turned 49, Tonia says, “I feel like I’m in my 20s — even more so because of my new arm!”
Shoulder replacement surgery is commonly performed by Arif Saleem, MD, and Jonathan Tueting, MD, upper extremity surgeons at Rush Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Both are fellowship trained in orthopedic surgery and specialize in shoulder replacement and other upper extremity procedures. Learn more or call (630) 978-3800 for an appointment.
