CLINICAL ARTICLE

 

The position of the 'bare spot' - not central in the glenoid

 

 

TR Cresswell^I; JF de Beer^II; D du Toit^III

^IBM, FRCS(Ed)(Trauma & Orth), Dip Orth Eng
^IIMBChB, MMed(Orth). Cape Shoulder Institute, Med Group, Parow, South Africa
^IIIFCS(SA), FRCS, PhD. Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Stellenbosch

Correspondence

 

 

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ABSTRACT

Dislocation of the glenohumeral joint is often associated with a bony lesion of the antero-inferior glenoid rim. This can be assessed at arthroscopy using the 'bare spot' - an area in the central glenoid where articular cartilage is comparatively thin.
The aim of this study was to assess the bare spot in a large number of cadavers. Fifty cadavers with no known history of bone or joint disease were examined. The bare spot was present in nearly 90% of shoulders and is centrally placed in the antero-posterior plane. However, the bare spot is significantly further away from the antero-inferior rim of the glenoid by 1.4 mm. The median distance from bare spot to the anterior rim is 13.2 mm, while the median distance to the antero-inferior rim is 14.6 mm.
Bone loss of the antero-inferior glenoid is associated with failure of soft tissue repairs after shoulder dislocation. These data will help in the arthroscopic assessment of the glenoid and in decision-making for surgery for gleno-humeral instability.

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Reprint requests:
Dr J de Beer
PO Box 15741
Panorama 7506
Western Cape e-mail: jodebeer@iafrica.com

 

 

This article was not submitted to an ethical committee for approval. The content of this article is the sole work of the authors. No benefits of any form have been derived from any commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.