Morphometry of the suprascapular notch: correlation with scapular dimensions and clinical relevance

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Stefano Gumina²  Anna Rita Vestri¹  Valerio Arceri²  Vittorio Candela²  Stefano Carbone²  Paolo Albino² 

[1] Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy;Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Piazzale Aldo Moro 3, Rome, 00185, Italy

关键词: Anatomic classification;    Scapula;    Suprascapular nerve entrapment;    Suprascapular nerve;    Suprascapular notch;   

Others  :  1132625
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2474-14-172

 received in 2012-09-17, accepted in 2013-04-24,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Better knowledge of the suprascapular notch anatomy may help to prevent and to assess more accurately suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome. Our purposes were to verify the reliability of the existing data, to assess the differences between the two genders, to verify the correlation between the dimensions of the scapula and the suprascapular notch, and to investigate the relationship between the suprascapular notch and the postero-superior limit of the safe zone for the suprascapular nerve.

Methods

We examined 500 dried scapulae, measuring seven distances related to the scapular body and suprascapular notch; they were also catalogued according to gender, age and side. Suprascapular notch was classified in accordance with Rengachary’s method. For each class, we also took into consideration the width/depth ratio. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation was calculated.

Results

The frequencies were: Type I 12.4%, Type II 19.8%, Type III 22.8%, Type IV 31.1%, Type V 10.2%, Type VI 3.6%. Width and depth did not demonstrate a statistical significant difference when analyzed according to gender and side; however, a significant difference was found between the depth means elaborated according to median age (73 y.o.). Correlation indexes were weak or not statistically significant. The differences among the postero-superior limits of the safe zone in the six types of notches was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Patient’s characteristics (gender, age and scapular dimensions) are not related to the characteristics of the suprascapular notch (dimensions and Type); our data suggest that the entrapment syndrome is more likely to be associated with a Type III notch because of its specific features.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Albino et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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