The study
This research, published in JSES International (1 May 2023), presents a three-dimensional analysis of scapular landmarks relevant to restoring the glenoid joint line.
Why the joint line matters
The glenoid joint line is, in effect, where the surface of the socket sat before it wore away. In an arthritic shoulder, bone has often been lost from the socket, so the original surface is no longer there to work from. Placing the replacement component too deep or too shallow relative to where that surface used to be changes the tension in the surrounding soft tissues and how the joint moves.
Reliable bony landmarks elsewhere on the scapula, which do not wear away, offer a way of reconstructing where the original joint line was. Identifying which landmarks are consistent enough to serve that purpose is what this analysis set out to do. Appropriate joint line placement supports shoulder function after surgery.
Authors and affiliations
First author Luke Gilliland, with Ashish Gupta, Marine Launay, Asma Salhi (PhD), Nicholas Green, Jashint Maharaj and Kristine Italia.
Affiliations: QUASR, the ARC Training Centre for Joint Biomechanics, St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, QUT and The University of Queensland.
Read it
The paper is available on PubMed.
Related information
See our anatomic total shoulder replacement page and our post on augmented glenoid components, which addresses the same problem of a worn socket.