Anterior coracoscapular ligament and suprascapular nerve entrapment.
A reduction in the height of the suprascapular foramen may predispose to entrapment of the suprascapular nerve. In this study, 16 of 27 cadavers (60%) demonstrated a heretofore unreported ligament located on the anterior aspect of the suprascapular foramen. In 11 of the 27 cadavers (41%), the ligament was observed bilaterally. The ligament decreased the foraminal height from the normative value of 5.6 +/- 0.4 to 2.3 +/- 0.4 mm (mean +/- SEM). Because this ligament, for which we propose the term anterior coracoscapular ligament (ACSL), substantially narrows the suprascapular foramen, it should be considered as a possible etiologic factor in suprascapular nerve entrapment.
Avery
B W
BW
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. bwavery@uwo.ca
Pilon
F M
FM
Barclay
J K
JK
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D012540:Scapula / Q000294:innervation*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000294:innervation*