consultations
Out patient clinic consultations
During a consultation, I assess patients by taking a detailed history and by performing a clinical examination. Patients may be sent for carefully selected investigations such as x-ray, ultrasound scan or MRI scan and/or bone scans.
the anatomy of the shoulder
andrew irwin . FRCS (Ed), FRCS Orth
Bony structure
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, made up of three bones, the humerus (upper arm bone), the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collar bone). The ball at the top end of the humerus fits into the socket in the scapula to form the shoulder. The upper part of the scapula is known as the acromion which is joined to the clavicle by the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) (refer to the diagram below).
Muscular structure
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons attaching the humerus to the scapula. The rotator cuff covers the humeral head. There is a fluid filled "cushion" called the subacromial bursa between the rotator cuff and the scapula and this helps lubricate motion between the two.