Background: Understanding of suprascapular notch (SSN) anatomy and relationship with scapular dimensions are vital in diagnosis, prevention, and assessment of suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome. The study aimed to assess morphometry of suprascapular notch and scapular dimensions in Ugandan dry scapulae with specific reference to scapulae with completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligaments. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted on 50 Ugandan dry scapulae. SSN types and prevalence of completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligament among dry scapulae were quantified and compared with previous data. Scapular dimensions were assessed by measuring scapular length (A), scapular width (B), glenoid length (C), and glenoid width (D). One-way ANOVA was used to compare scapular dimensions of scapulae with different SSN types, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation coefficient of scapular dimensions amongst groups. Results: Superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL) was completely ossified in 8% of cases. There was no significant (P > 0.05) difference between scapular dimensions of scapulae with completely ossified STSL compared to scapulae with other SSN types. Scapulae with completely ossified STSL showed strong negative (r = -0.89137, r = -0.877) correlations for its A, B respectively compared against D, this finding was not true to scapulae of other SSN types. Also, there were strong positive or negative (r > 0.7, r > -0.7) correlations: for A, types I and III compared to type VI; for B, types I, III compared to VI; for C, type IV and VI; and for D, type III and VI. Conclusions: The prevalence of completely ossified STSL is moderately high in the Ugandan population. Characteristics of the scapula (scapular dimensions) are not ‘vital’ but rather important or relevant for shoulder pathology with specific reference to suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome due to completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligaments. Further correlation analyses of scapular dimensions of different SSN types in different populations are important.

BackgroundSuccess of public health government programs depends on effective partnerships between religious institutions, policy makers and medical professionals. Directives from the World Health Organization (WHO) against social gatherings to control COVID-19 transmission have negatively impacted religious-political partnerships. Compliance of rural communities to national lockdowns requires support from community faith leaders. Across the African sub-continent faith plays an important role within communities that display diverse religious practice. Specific guidelines to prevent community transmission and spread of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) are however, scarce, complicating adherence to best practice as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). During the Ebola epidemic in Africa, faith groups played a crucial role in spreading information from the WHO to control community disease transmissions. MethodsHere we examined knowledge, attitudes and practices for COVID-19 among market vendors, of faith, in South-Western Uganda. A cross sectional study was undertaken among rural market vendors (n=248) in southwestern Uganda was undertaken using an online questionnaire.ResultsMost moslems (72%) and protestants (70%) were aware that COVID-19 could present symptomatically and the challenges for control of COVID-19 in Uganda. Definitive knowledge of COVID-19 transmission dynamics was most prevalent among individuals of Protestant faith (70%). Most moslems (66%) interviewed found it difficult to comply with public health measures (lockdowns and self-isolation) while most pentecostals (64%) considered wearing as face mask to be impractical. Such discrepancies within a tight knit community and religious groupings in relation to practice shows a need to strengthen and revise policy for the national implementation of COVID-19 guidelines. ConclusionEngagement from religious leaders to encourage their followers to abide to COVID-19 guidelines would facilitate Africa’s COVID-19 response to become more effective addressing key areas of non-compliance that undermine control e.g. a majority of Pentecostal Christians are hesitant to be associated with alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Background Understanding of suprascapular notch (SSN) anatomy and relationship with scapular dimensions are vital in diagnosis, prevention, and assessment of suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome. The study aimed to assess morphometry of suprascapular notch and scapular dimensions in Ugandan dry scapulae with specific reference to scapulae with completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligaments. Methods This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted on 50 Ugandan dry scapulae. SSN types and prevalence of completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligament among dry scapulae were quantified and compared with previous data. Scapular dimensions were assessed by measuring scapular length (A), scapular width (B), glenoid length (C), and glenoid width (D). One-way ANOVA was used to compare scapular dimensions of scapulae with different SSN types, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation coefficient of scapular dimensions amongst groups. Results Superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL) was completely ossified in 8% of cases. There was no significant (P > 0.05) difference between scapular dimensions of scapulae with completely ossified STSL compared to scapulae with other SSN types. Scapulae with completely ossified STSL showed strong negative (r = − 0.89137, r = − 0.877) correlations for its A, B respectively compared against D, this finding was not true to scapulae of other SSN types. Also, there were strong positive or negative (r > 0.7, r > − 0.7) correlations: for A, types I and III compared to type VI; for B, types I, III compared to VI; for C, type IV and VI; and for D, type III and VI. Conclusions The prevalence of completely ossified STSL is moderately high in the Ugandan population. Characteristics of the scapula (scapular dimensions) are not ‘vital’ but rather important or relevant for shoulder pathology with specific reference to suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome due to completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligaments. Further correlation analyses of scapular dimensions of different SSN types in different populations are important.

Background. A better understanding of the anatomy of the suprascapular notch and relationship with scapular dimensions are vital in the diagnosis, prevention, and assessment of the suprascapular nerve (SN) entrapment syndrome. Our purposes were to classify the suprascapular notches, determine the prevalence of completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligament, scapular dimensions, and their relationship among the different types of the suprascapular notch (SSN). Methods: An experimental study in which the SSN types and scapular dimensions were determined using previous methods. Statistical analyses were done using GraphPad Prism v.6 and MS Excel Version 2019, one-way ANOVA was used to compare and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation of scapular dimensions. Results: The superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL) was completely ossified in 8% of cases. There were no significant differences between the scapular dimensions for the different SSN types. For type VI SSN there is a strong negative correlation between A, B against D. There are strong (positive or negative) correlations between types I and III from type VI for A-axis; types I, III from VI for B; type IV and VI for C axis; and type III and VI for D axis.Conclusions: The prevalence of the completely ossified STSL in our study was moderately high; the correlation studies suggest that the scapular dimensions could be a valuable tool in the prediction, diagnosis, prevention, and assessment of the SN neuropathy due to the scapulae with the completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligaments (type VI SSN). Further studies on correlation analyses of scapular dimensions and characteristics of suprascapular notches are vital.