title: The suprascapular notch narrows with aging: a preliminary solution of the old conjecture based on a 3D-CT evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the morphology of the suprascapular notch in terms of age distribution. We hypothesized that the notch narrows with aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred and sixty consecutive patients (465 men and 295 women) scheduled for a shoulder surgery were retrospectively reviewed. A 3D-CT of the shoulder was taken to evaluate the shape of the notch according to the Rengachary classification. The six types of Rengachary classification were arranged into three major categories according to transverse scapular ligament ossification and notch size as follows: the wide notch (type 1 and type 2); the narrow notch (type 3 and type 4); and the ossified notch (type 5 and type 6). Comparisons between categories were done with a one-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant difference among the three categories (P < .01): the narrow notch group (n = 442, 63.4 ± 12.8 years) and the ossified notch group (n = 66, 65.9 ± 10.6 years) were significantly older than the wide notch group (n = 252, 57.5 ± 17.8 years), respectively. In patients with Rengachary type 5 shoulders, ossification was dominant on the medial side of the notch in 37 of 39 shoulders (92.3 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study showed that morphological changes of the scapular notch are related to aging. The narrow notch and the ossified notch are seemed to be developed from the wide notch in terms of the ossification starting from the medial side.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Fukui General Hospital, 58-16-1 Egami, Fukui, Fukui, 9108561, Japan. yamakadok@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamakado
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012540:Scapula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D012782:Shoulder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anatomy; Computed tomography; Morphology; Suprascapular neuropathy; Suprascapular notch