A medical procedure for use in connection with a patient suffering from
cuff tear arthropathy is disclosed. The medial procedure includes
providing a humeral prosthesis having a prosthetic head component,
wherein (i) the prosthetic head component includes a glenoid-bearing
portion and an acromion-bearing portion, and (ii) the glenoid-bearing
portion and the acromion-bearing portion define an outer bearing surface,
and (iii) the outer bearing surface extends in a medial/lateral direction
across a radial distance D, and (iii) D.gtoreq.190.degree.. The medical
procedure further includes implanting the humeral prosthesis in the
patient so that the acromion-bearing portion contacts and bears directly
against a natural acromion of the patient during abduction of an arm of
the patient that possesses the humerus.