Lifting Weights and Swimming Competitively Are No Problem after Chip’s OVOMotion with Inlay Glenoid Shoulder Implant

Chip Taylor is a retired dentist, current gym owner and timber farmer. He loves CrossFit, sculpting in bronze, and hunting with a traditional longbow. He’s also a competitive swimmer and one of his favorite strokes is the butterfly, which puts a lot of stress on the shoulder.

An old injury comes back to haunt him

In 2010, he tore his labrum, the cartilage attached to the rim of the shoulder socket, and had it surgically repaired. But five years later, the pain returned, limiting his ability to do countless activities. He consulted with an orthopedic surgeon who told him he needed a full traditional total shoulder replacement, and the best-case scenario after surgery would be that he would have only 45-degree range of motion in his shoulder – A normal shoulder has a range of 180 degrees of motion so this approach would severely impact Chip’s activity level. Swimming? He would need to forego one of his favorite activities. Moreover, he told Chip, he would never be able to lift more than 50 lbs. to his chest or 25 lbs. over his head. “I refused to accept the fate given to me by the first opinion,” recalled Chip. So he began looking for a better option.

A better solution

His internet research eventually brought him to Arthrosurface, which was later acquired by Anika Therapeutics. The company’s OVOMotion with Inlay Glenoid Arthroplasty System is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional total shoulder replacements. It preserves much of the patient’s surrounding bone and joint structures and utilizes a non-spherical humeral implant with inlay glenoid to improve range of motion and recreate the native anatomy of the joint. Chip sought out a second opinion from Dr. Tyler Marshall who determined this implant was the right option for Chip and his active lifestyle.

“The OVOMotion system had the advantage of trying to restore his anatomy back to his native state,” said Tyler Marshall, MD, the orthopedic surgeon who performed Chip’s procedure. “He had a great result and he’s back to doing everything he loves to do.”

Back to an active life

The morning after his surgery, Chip reported he had virtually no pain compared to before the procedure. When his sling came off six weeks later, he began physical therapy to rebuild strength and flexibility. The true test of his recovery arrived during planting season at the farm, when he needed to fill his seeding machine with a 50-lb sack of seeds. He did it with ease.

After receiving the OVOMotion with Inlay Glenoid Shoulder Implant, Chip is back to enjoying all of the activities he loves! He’s even back to doing bar muscle-ups, a move that is very demanding on the shoulders.

“I’m thankful for the development of this system that has enabled me to continue to lift weights and swim competitively,” said Chip. “I can do all my farm work and shoot my bow. It literally has saved my life.”