The spiral glenohumeral ligament: an open and arthroscopic anatomy study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to visualize arthroscopically and to describe the micro- and macroscopic anatomy of the poorly known ligament of the anterior capsule of the glenohumeral joint: the so-called ligamentum glenohumerale spirale (spiral GHL).

Methods: Twenty-two fresh shoulder joints were dissected, and the anatomy of the anterior capsular structures (the spiral GHL, the middle glenohumeral ligament [MGHL], and the anterior band as well as the axillary part of the inferior glenohumeral ligament [AIGHL and AxIGHL, respectively]) was investigated. For arthroscopic visualization, 30 prospective arthroscopic clinical cases and 19 retrospective video clips of the patients who had an arthroscopic shoulder procedure with a normal subscapularis tendon, labrum, and anterior joint capsule were evaluated.

Macroscopical anatomy of the so-called "rotator interval". A cadaver study on 19 shoulder joints.

The triangular capsular space between the insertion tendons of the Mm. supraspinatus and subscapularis--the "rotator interval", can be divided into lateral, medio-superior and medio-inferior parts. The lateral part of the capsule is strengthened by the "Lig.