Imaging the shoulder

Radiopaedia • CC-by-nc-sa 3.0 • de

Imaging the shoulder is often reliant on multi-modality imaging. The shoulder is a complex ball-and-socket joint that relies on the structural integrity of the glenoid labrum and accompanying shoulder ligaments and rotator cuff muscles to function.

Acute trauma may result in bony, labral, ligamentous, or musculotendinous damage. The shoulder may be injured following repetitive injury, as part of systemic inflammatory conditions, or infection. The bones around the shoulder may be affected by benign or malignant bony lesions, and associated pathological fracture.

Anatomy

When looking at any imaging of the shoulder, it is important to understand the anatomy that is involved:

Imaging the shoulder