Glenohumeral Joint Arthritis

What is Glenohumeral Joint Arthritis?

The glenohumeral joint is the main ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder, formed where the head of the humerus meets the glenoid cavity. Glenohumeral arthritis is the loss of cartilage in this joint, most commonly from osteoarthritis, which leads to deep pain and progressive stiffness.

It can also follow a shoulder fracture or dislocation, a long-standing rotator cuff tear, or rheumatoid arthritis. Risk rises with age, and it is more common in women and in those with a family history.

The pain is typically a deep ache that worsens with movement and, early on, eases with rest. As the cartilage thins further, the joint becomes stiff and grinding, and pain begins to disturb sleep. There is no cure for the worn cartilage, so the goal of treatment is to control symptoms and preserve function.

Symptoms

• A deep aching pain in the shoulder
• Pain that worsens with movement and improves with rest early on
• Stiffness and a reducing range of motion
• A grinding, clicking, or catching sensation
• Pain that disturbs sleep as the condition progresses
• Weakness and difficulty with everyday reaching

How We Treat It

Our first interventional step is usually an intra-articular injection under image guidance. Placing corticosteroid accurately inside the joint reduces pain and inflammation and can give meaningful relief, which is more reliable than a landmark-based injection in a deep joint like the shoulder. We use this both to treat symptoms and, where helpful, to confirm the joint is the source of pain.

For longer-lasting relief, a hyaluronic acid injection adds lubrication and cushioning to a joint whose cartilage has thinned, easing the friction that drives pain with movement. We combine these with activity guidance to manage load on the joint. We are honest about the trajectory: when arthritis is advanced and symptoms outrun what injections can offer, we refer for surgical assessment rather than continue indefinitely.