The spinoglenoid foramen

Abstract

The documented variations of the inferior transverse scapular (spinoglenoid) ligament include bilaminar or unilaminar membranous band, ligamentous band, and absence (Cummins et al., 1998;Demirhan et al., 1998;Demirhan, 2000;Ide et al., 2003;Plancher et al., 2005). Standard textbooks of anatomy do not describe the ossification of the spinoglenoid ligament.During routine bone extraction from a male cadaver for the bone library, it was observed that the left inferior transverse scapular (spinoglenoid) ligament was ossified. The ossified ligament stretched across the superior-most part of the spinoglenoid notch, converting it into a foramen (Fig. 1A). The foramen was oval (8 mm 3 3 mm) proximally, in the supraspinous fossa, and circular (5 mm 3 5 mm) distally, in the infraspinous fossa. The nutrient foramen of the scapula was 5 mm from the edge of the spinoglenoid foramen in the supraspinous fossa, as seen in Figure 1B.The ossified ligament was 24 mm in length. It was twisted in such a way that the lateral-most fibers Fig. 1. To show the spinoglenoid ligament and foramen in an adult Indian male. A: Spinoglenoid foramen due to ossified spinoglenoid ligament. B: Ossified spinoglenoid ligament extending between root of the spine and coracoglenoidal junction. Nutrient foramen is seen in the supraspinous fossa (5 mm from the spinoglenoid foramen).

Unusual morphology of scapulae: incidence and dimensions of ossified ligaments and supraspinous bony tunnels for clinical consideration

“…the bony canal found between the suprascapular notch and spinoglenoid notch), as well as their dimensions, as these structures could potentially compress vascular and neural elements by reducing available space in the spinoglenoid notch. (6,7) In short, the present study explored the incidence of ossified ligaments and bony tunnels along the course of the SSN in dry human scapulae from a North Indian population. We also measured and recorded the dimensions of osseous ligaments and any rare bony tunnel and foramina at the suprascapular notch and spinoglenoid notch.…”