Term75

Shoulder

Shoulder Seperation

A shoulder separation is the partial or complete separation of two parts of the shoulder: the collarbone (clavicle) and the end of the shoulder blade (acromion).

Shoulder

The collarbone and the shoulder blade (scapula) are connected by the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, which is held together primarily by the acromioclavicular (AC) and the coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments. In a shoulder separation (also called an acromioclavicular joint injury), these ligaments are partially or completely torn. A shoulder separation is classified according to how severely these ligaments are injured:

The Shoulder

About 12.3 million people went to the doctor's office in 2002 for a shoulder problem, including 4.2 million visits for shoulder and upper arm sprains and strains.

Shoulder injuries can be caused by sports activities that involve excessive overhead motion like swimming, tennis, pitching and weightlifting. People involved in everyday activities like washing walls, hanging curtains, and gardening also can get shoulder injuries due to excessive overhead arm motion.

Athletes are especially susceptible to shoulder problems. A shoulder problem can develop slowly in athletes through repetitive, intensive training routines.

Glenohumeral Instability

What is Glenohumeral Instability?
After being treated for an initial dislocation of your shoulder, you may find that it feels like it's about to dislocate periodically. This feeling of giving-way is called glenohumeral instability or subluxation.

Glenohumeral instability refers to a condition in which the humeral head in the shoulder repeatedly slips out of the joint, or seems to nearly slip out.

The shoulder blade and humerus, or upper arm, form the glenohumeral joint. This is what you would normally think of as your 'shoulder joint'. The glenohumeral joint is a ball-and-socket joint, consisting of the head of the humerus, or upper arm, and the glenoid fossa, which is formed by a slightly hollowed portion of the end of the shoulder blade. The head of the humerus maintains very little contact with the glenoid itself during movement, however. Instead, the shoulder relies on a group of ligaments, muscles and tendons to help keep the humerus in the proper place, and to provide stability to the joint.

Surgical Treatment of Trapezius Paralysis

Techniques in Shoulder & Elbow Surgery. 4(3):99-109, September 2003.
Lervick, Gregory N. MD; Bigliani, Louis U. MD
Abstract:
Summary: The trapezius is one of the major scapular-stabilizing muscles. It is composed of 3 functional components and contributes to coordinated scapulothoracic rhythm by elevating, rotating, and retracting the scapula. The muscle is primarily innervated by the spinal accessory nerve, or cranial nerve XI. The superficial course of the spinal accessory nerve in the posterior cervical triangle makes it susceptible to iatrogenic or penetrating trauma. Idiopathic and traction injuries are also seen.

What is the Thoracic Outlet?

The Thoracic Outlet is a space between the rib cage (thorax), and the collar bone (clavicle) through which the main blood vessels and nerves pass from the neck and thorax into the arm. The nerves and blood vessels leave the neck between the two muscles (scalene muscles).

What is a syndrome?
A syndrome is a set of symptoms and physical findings that point to a certain diagnosis. All the symptoms and physical findings are not always present.
Various symptoms and physical findings may be present in different grades of severity.

What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?
Thoracic outlet syndrome is a combination of pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or coldness in the upper extremity caused by pressure on the nerves and/or blood vessels in the thoracic outlet.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that begins with a gradual onset of pain and a limitation of shoulder motion. The discomfort and loss of movement can become so severe that even simple daily activities become difficult. Although much is known about this condition, there continues to be considerable controversy about its causes and the best ways to treat it.

What does the inside of the shoulder look like?

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body, with a complex arrangement of structures working together to provide the movement necessary for daily life. Unfortunately, this great mobility comes at the expense of stability. Several bones and a network of soft tissue structures (ligaments, tendons, and muscles), work together to produce shoulder movement. They interact to keep the joint in place while it moves through extreme ranges of motion. Each of these structures makes an important contribution to shoulder movement and stability. Certain work or sports activities can put great demands upon the shoulder, and injury can occur when the limits of movement are exceeded and/or the individual structures are overloaded. Click here to read more about shoulder structure.