Clinical Overview
Reviewed by Dr. Ilya Voloshin

Arthrosis (from “arthro-“, meaning “joint,” and “-osis”, meaning “abnormal condition” or “disease,”) means a degeneration of the shoulder joint. While the shoulder generally functions with strength and fluidity, the smooth movement of the joint eventually breaks down with age or heavy use. Also known as osteoarthritis of the shoulder, arthrosis worsens with time, moving from tenderness to pain and loss of range of motion. Eventually it may affect your activities of daily living and wake you up at night. Two joints may be involved with arthritis process, acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) or glenohumeral joint (GH joint).

Causes

Arthrosis is caused by general “wear and tear” of the shoulder joint, although certain situations raise the risk of developing the condition. Frequent overhead motion, weightlifting, a fall on the shoulder, or an earlier injury such as fracture of a bone in the shoulder region or dislocation of a joint may raise the risk..

Risk Factors