Surgeons

The shoulder is a complex joint

It allows for a very wide range of movements in different planes.

It is an unstable joint from the perspective of its bony anatomy, often compared to a golf ball on its tee. The muscles that attach to the bony prominences via tendons stabilize the joint and enable such great ranges of motion.

When raising the arm, the scapula, which glides on the rib cage, also participates in the movement.

The elbow is often defined as an “intermediate joint.”

If this expression reflects the anatomical connection between the shoulder and the hand, it also applies to the surgical treatment of the elbow.

Three-dimensional recognition of anatomy is probably more crucial than for other joints due to the abundance of nerves and blood vessels in the immediate vicinity of the joint, in a very restricted area that essentially encompasses three joints in one: between the humerus (arm bone), the radius, and the ulna (bones of the forearm). These three bones allow movements along different axes: flexion and extension, as well as supination and pronation (rotational movements of the forearm).