[Non traumatic pathology of the shoulder: when to perform surgery?]

Non traumatic pathology of the shoulder was broken down in four entities: (1) articular stiffness are best treated with rehabilitation and an arthroscopic arthrolysis is rarely recommended; (2) rotator cuff pathology is represented by calcifying and non calcifying tendinitis, partial and full thickness rotator cuff tears; surgical treatment is performed nowadays under arthroscopy; after 50 years old, surgery is indicated after failure of conservative treatment; (3) glenohumeral osteoarthritis and arthritis are best treated with prosthesis; the results are now comparable to hip arthroplasty; (4) chronic acromio-clavicular pathology is usually treated conservatively.