Morphological Variations Of Glenoid Cavity Of Human Scapulae: An Anatomical Study With Clinical Relevance

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this present study was to observe the morphological variations of glenoid process ofadult human scapulae by subjective evaluation, because morphologic variants of adult glenoid process play animportant role in various shoulder joint pathologies especially dislocations with fractures of the glenoid cavitywhich is also quite common.Materialsand Methods: Two hundred sixty adult dry scapulae (127 right & 133 left) from the osteology museumof department of Anatomy, belonging to Indian population of unknown sex & age were obtained for the morphologicpattern of glenoid cavity by subjective evaluation. We have examined the presence of notch in the glenoidprocess of each scapulae& according to the presence of notch, we evaluated the bones for the morphologicalclassification as pear; inverted comma & oval shaped glenoid process. Our observations were compared withother osteological studies performed on different other population groups.Results: Out of total 260 scapulae, 187 bones showed notch in the margin of the glenoid cavity.Most of the boneswithout a notch were termed as oval shaped (73 scapulae) glenoid & rest of the bones were of pear shapedvariety. Among the pear shaped glenoid, 113 scapulae showed pear shaped cavity with slight notch; 71 scapulaeshowed an inverted comma shaped glenoid. Not only the basic morphology, we have also reported some of thescapulae with special morphologic features like a very prominent infraglenoid tubercle; presence of foramen inthe glenoid cavity &highly special nodular glenoid cavity.Conclusions: Though glenoid cavities showed highly variable morphological pictures, but the clinicians shouldbe well versed with the normal appearance & anatomic variants of glenoid cavities on dry bones, so that they caninterpret its morphology on radiographs and MRI scans. Our results of this subjective evaluation may be of helpas baseline data for theclinicians especially for the orthopaedic surgeons for the diagnosis &treatment modalitiesof shoulder dislocations & fracture.