The Shoulder Blueprint
Hosted by orthopedic shoulder surgeons Drs. Caleb Davis and Justin Givens, The Shoulder Blueprint covers shoulder health topics like rotator cuff injuries, arthritis, and advanced surgical and non-surgical treatments. Each episode explores anatomy, biomechanics, and modern innovations in shoulder care, helping listeners understand pain, recovery options, and what orthopedic medicine can offer.
Episodes
Inside the Operating Room: What It’s Really Like to Be a Scrub Tech
What really happens inside an operating room and what does a scrub tech actually do?Dr. Caleb Davis sits down with former surgical technologist and surgical first assistant Courtney Hartman for a behind-the-scenes look at life in surgery.Courtney spent more than a decade working in cardiothoracic surgery, assisting with heart surgery, vascular procedures, trauma cases, and organ transplants. She e
Robotic Shoulder Replacement: Is It Actually Better? | Dr. Mark Mighell
Robotic-assisted shoulder replacement promises extraordinary precision—but does that actually translate into a better shoulder?Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens are joined by Dr. Mark Mighell, one of the early surgeons involved in the development of robotic-assisted shoulder replacement, for a deep dive into where the technology started, how it works today, and where it may be headed.They disc
Muscle Sparing Shoulder Replacement
Should you really wait until you’re 65 to have a shoulder replacement?For younger, active patients with severe shoulder arthritis, that traditional advice can mean living with pain for years — sometimes while becoming less active and less healthy in the process.In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint, orthopedic shoulder surgeons Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens discuss how newer approaches
Robotic Shoulder Replacement: What the Robot Actually Does
Robotic-assisted shoulder replacement is one of the newest technologies in orthopedic surgery—but what does the robot actually do?Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens take you inside the operating room to explain how MAKO robotic-assisted reverse shoulder replacement works. They walk through the process from the preoperative CT scan and 3D surgical plan to tracking the shoulder blade, preparing t
Reverse Shoulder Replacement: How It Works & What to Expect
Reverse shoulder replacement has transformed the way surgeons treat some of the most difficult shoulder problems but what exactly are we “reversing,” and why does it work?In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens explain how reverse shoulder arthroplasty works, how the procedure evolved, and why it has become such an important option for patients with severe
Pyrocarbon Shoulder Replacement: The New Option for Young, Active Patients
What happens when someone has severe shoulder arthritis in their 40s or 50s but is still extremely active?Traditional shoulder replacement can provide excellent pain relief but in younger patients, surgeons also have to think about what that shoulder will look like 10, 20, or even 30 years later.IDr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens discuss pyrocarbon hemiarthroplasty, a newer approach that repla
Anatomic vs. Reverse Shoulder Replacement: Which One Is Actually Better?
Shoulder replacement is not a one-size-fits-all operation. In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens take a deep dive into anatomic total shoulder replacement: how it works, who may benefit from it, and why reverse shoulder replacement has become increasingly common.They discuss:• Why a healthy rotator cuff is essential for an anatomic shoulder replacement• T
Optimizing Recovery After Surgery | Rehab, Sleep, Pain Control & Preventing Muscle Loss with Luke Brohm PT
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Caleb Davis is joined by physical therapist Luke Brohm, PT, to discuss how patients can optimize recovery after surgery.Drawing from both professional experience and Luke’s current recovery from Achilles tendon surgery, this episode explores practical and evidence-based strategies to improve healing, reduce complications, preserve muscle mass, improve sleep, and safely retur
Optimizing Surgical Recovery | Protein, Sleep, Vitamin D, Magnesium & Achilles Rehab
Dr. Caleb Davis is joined by physical therapist Dr. Luke Brohm following Luke’s recent Achilles tendon rupture and surgery.The conversation explores the evidence behind optimizing recovery after orthopedic injuries and surgery, including:The importance of protein intakeSleep deprivation and injury riskVitamin D deficiencyMagnesium and pain modulationZinc and vitamin C for wound healingCreatine, co
MLB Pitcher Josh Fogg on Shoulder Pain, Longevity, and the Reality of Elite Throwing
Dr. Caleb Davis sits down with former MLB pitcher Josh Fogg for a candid conversation about the realities of high-level throwing sports.From an underdog path to the big leagues to dealing with long-term shoulder degeneration, Josh shares firsthand insight into what elite performance really costs and what he would do differently today.We discuss:-The evolution of training and recovery in baseball-O
What does “shoulder impingement” actually mean and is it even the right term?
In this episode, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens dive into the controversy surrounding impingement syndrome vs. subacromial pain syndrome. They explore the evolution of how we understand shoulder pain, why older mechanical theories fall short, and what current evidence tells us about diagnosis and treatment.You’ll learn:Why impingement isn’t just a “tight space” problemHow inflammation drive
AC Joint Pain (Weightlifter’s Shoulder): Diagnosis, Treatment, and When Surgery Makes Sense
AC joint pain is one of the most common causes of shoulder painespecially in active individuals and weightlifters but it’s often misunderstood and overtreated.In this episode, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens break down the anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment of AC joint pathology, including why imaging alone can be misleading and how to truly identify the pain generator.They discuss key physic
The Long Head of the Biceps: One of the Biggest Pain Generators in the Shoulder
In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint Podcast, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens discuss one of the most common sources of front shoulder pain: the long head of the biceps tendon.They explain the anatomy of the proximal biceps, the difference between tendinitis and tendinosis, how biceps pain overlaps with SLAP tears, rotator cuff pathology, and altered shoulder mechanics, and why this ten
Labral Tears Part 2: Bankart Repair, Remplissage, Latarjet, and SLAP—What Surgery & Recovery Really Look Like
Part 2 of our Labrum series is all surgery: Bankart repairs, capsulorrhaphy, anchors (knotless vs knotted, all-suture vs hard-body), and what can go wrong if you overtighten. We also break down remplissage for Hill-Sachs lesions, when glenoid bone loss pushes you toward Latarjet vs distal tibia allograft, and why we’re not “SLAP-happy” anymore—plus where biceps tenodesis fits today, even for some
Labrum 101: Shoulder Anatomy, Instability, and Why “Tears” Aren’t All the Same
The shoulder labrum is one of the most misunderstood structures in the body and the word “labrum tear” can mean very different things depending on where the tear is.In Part 1 of our Labrum series, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens break down the labrum anatomy and the key tear patterns:Clock-face anatomy (12 o’clock biceps anchor; front vs back of the socket)Bankart tears and why most shoulder
Frozen Shoulder: Best Treatments & When Surgery Is Needed
In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint, orthopedic surgeons Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens dive deep into how frozen shoulder is actually treated — from early pain control to advanced surgical options.We break down:✔️ When you really need an MRI (and when you don’t)✔️ Steroid injections vs oral medications✔️ How physical therapy should change by phase✔️ Why aggressive therapy can backfir
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis): Why It Happens, Why It Hurts, and How It Finally Gets Better — Part 1
Frozen shoulder is one of the most painful conditions we treat — and one of the most misunderstood.In Part 1 of our frozen shoulder series, orthopedic surgeons Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens break down what adhesive capsulitis really is, why it happens, and why it can derail your life for months or even years.We cover:• What frozen shoulder actually is (and why it’s not really “frozen”)• Th
CrossFit, Tendonitis, and Shoulder Injuries: What’s Actually Safe and What’s Wrecking Your Joints
CrossFit gets blamed for a lot of shoulder injuries — but the real story is more complicated.In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint Podcast, orthopedic shoulder surgeon Dr. Caleb Davis sits down with physical therapist Luke Bram to break down what’s actually safe in CrossFit, what quietly destroys joints, and how to train for long-term shoulder health.This is a practical, no-nonsense conversati
Physical Therapy vs Surgery for Shoulder Pain | What PT Actually Fixes
In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint, Dr. Caleb Davis is joined by physical therapist Luke Brohm, PT, DPT, OCS to break down what physical therapy really looks like for shoulder injuries and when surgery is actually necessary.They discuss why many patients are told they have a “rotator cuff problem” when the real issue is poor scapular control, how physical therapy addresses shoulder pain at
"Unfixable" Rotator Cuff Tears Explained
What really happens in the OR during rotator cuff surgery… and what do surgeons do when the cuff can’t be fixed?In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint, orthopedic shoulder & elbow surgeons Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens go deep on rotator cuff tears, repair strategies, and modern options for “irreparable” cuffs, all while keeping it understandable for both patients and clinicians.ASE
Rotator Cuff Pain Explained: Why Your Shoulder Hurts & How to Fix It
Shoulder pain is one of the most common orthopedic issues, but most people don’t actually understand what the rotator cuff is or why it hurts. In this first episode of The Shoulder Blueprint Podcast, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens break down the four small muscles that power your shoulder, the real reasons pain develops, and the treatment paths that actually work. Whether you're dealing
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