US Patent 7621961 Shoulder implant assembly

An implant assembly and associated method for selectively performing reverse and traditional arthroplasty for a shoulder joint that includes a humerus and a glenoid. The implant assembly may include a head, a cup, a humeral stem and an adapter. The method includes inserting the humeral stem to the humerus and connecting a male taper of the adapter to a female taper of the head. For reverse arthroplasty, the method includes attaching the adapter to the glenoid and the cup to the stem. For traditional arthroplasty, the method includes attaching the adapter to the humeral stem and the cup to the glenoid. The method also includes articulating the head with the cup.