The Contour of the Glenoid Fossa: Variance in Concavity

Abstract

The glenohumeral joint, by nature of its freedom in range of motion, is particularly vulnerable to injury. Though many aspects of the joint, such as rotator cuff musculature and the glenoid labrum, have been assessed, there is a paucity of data regarding the variation in the contour of the glenoid fossa, the bony support for the humeral head. Therefore, this study applied geometric morphometric techniques to demonstrate the variance in the contours of glenoid fossae. A total of 76 shoulder CT scans, with planes oriented through the glenoid cavity, coronally, were assessed. Principle component analysis explained 80.1% of the cumulative variance in the glenoid fossa shape with the first two principle components (PC1 = 65.7%; PC2 = 14.4%). The first principle component revealed the shape variance to range from a pronounced concave shape to a minimally concave, nearly linear, shape. The results of this study suggest that, varied concavity of the glenoid cavity might influence both the range of motion and the structural integrity of the glenohumeral joint.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.