From shoulder pain to confident serves: Laura's tennis comeback with pyrocarbon implant

Key Takeaways

• Laura, a lifelong tennis player, developed worsening bone-on-bone shoulder pain that affected daily life and play.
• After trying conservative treatments, she chose a shoulder replacement surgery using a pyrocarbon implant with Dr. Armodios Hatzidakis.
• Pyrocarbon is a carbon-ceramic material; it is more like bone and lasts longer than traditional implants.
• Dr. Hatzidakis helped pioneer pyrocarbon use and has been offering the procedure for 10 years.
• Laura’s recovery took time and rehab, but she was surprised how well she healed.
• Laura is back to tennis with stronger overhead confidence and significantly less pain.

When shoulder pain becomes an everyday problem

Tennis had always been part of Laura’s life. In her youth, she played competitively, her mother played well into her 80s, and she grew up on court with her brother. Years after returning to regular play, however, her right shoulder pain became harder and harder to ignore.

Laura tried physical therapy, PRP injections and a minor procedure to address bone spurs and arthritis. Some treatments helped temporarily but the pain always returned.

By the time she sought a second opinion, the issue had become bigger than sports. “It wasn’t even about tennis at that point,” Laura said. “I couldn’t lift my arm to get things out of a cabinet. I couldn’t sleep on it. It wasn’t functioning at all.”

For active adults, that turning point is often familiar. Pain is no longer occasional or only with sports-related activity. It starts limiting work, sleep and basic movement.

The big question: “Will I be able to play tennis again?”

A tennis friend recommended Laura meet with Armodios Hatzidakis, MD, a sports medicine and shoulder expert at Western Orthopaedics. When Laura met with him, she learned her imaging showed bone-on-bone arthritis. That’s when surgery became a part of the conversation. She recalled, “My big concern was, will I really be able to get back to tennis and play at the level I was?”

What stood out to Laura in Dr. Hatzidakis’ response was his honesty. “He didn’t just say, ‘of course you will,’” she said. “He looked at me, thought about it and said, ‘Yes, I believe you will.’” For Laura, that confidence, paired with a plan, mattered.

Why pyrocarbon makes sense for an active patient

Dr. Hatzidakis explained that shoulder replacement with a pyrocarbon implant is a durable option for someone who wants to stay highly active. “It felt like my best bet,” she said. And Dr. Hatzidakis was certainly the right man for the job. Instrumental in bringing this material to real-world shoulder care, Dr. Hatzidakis led early clinical and investigational work. He helped move pyrocarbon from emerging technology toward broader patient use.

Pyrocarbon is a carbon-ceramic material with a surface that behaves more like natural bone than typical metals. Its bone-compatible interface can lower socket wear and be kinder to cartilage. Both are huge advantages when considering shoulder replacement for younger, active adults.

Recovery through early hard work to big gains over time

Laura is direct about post-surgical recovery, “It’s definitely not a piece-of-cake surgery.” She credits the care team at HCA HealthONE Rose and Western Orthopaedics for helping her through the early postoperative period and rehab. She truly felt supported by Dr. Hatzidakis, his PA Tyler and the staff throughout her hospital stay and follow-up care.

Thanks to her hard work and the care team’s encouragement, Laura began light hitting on the court around five months after surgery. At first, she felt stiff. Then her progress accelerated. “He told me it would take about a year to really get back,” she said. “He was right.”

Back in the game

Now, just over a year after surgery, Laura is back to playing tennis multiple days a week and has returned to the competitive opportunities she once thought were behind her. “I’m playing better than I ever have in years, with no pain.” She especially notices improvements when serving or taking an overhead, shots that once caused hesitation and pain. She has returned to singles play as well, something she had stepped away from when her shoulder worsened.

Life beyond the court

For Laura (and many women like her), tennis is not just fitness. It’s social connection, exercise, routine and identity. “This surgery was life-changing,” she said. “Tennis is such a big part of my life, and I was really at a point where I was going to have to stop playing.” 

Her message to other patients is practical: start with conservative care, get imaging and seek an expert opinion when pain affects daily life. “See what’s going on first and then go from there,” she encourages. “Go see Dr. Hatzidakis. I can’t think of a better doctor and surgeon. He did a fantastic job surgically and he’s so supportive and kind. There is hope.”

If shoulder pain limits sleep, movement, work or sport, you do not have to wait and wonder. A personalized evaluation can clarify your options. For the right patient, including active adults with specific shoulder conditions, a shoulder replacement with pyrocarbon may offer a path back to movement with confidence.