Imaging of the Shoulder Girdle

First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank all the authors, each of whom is an expert in their field, for their truly outstanding contributions to this issue. The topic of the shoulder girdle has been discussed previously. But I trust this current varied collection of articles will interest both the specialist and general radiologist alike. The range of topics covers most of the pathology and imaging findings around the shoulder that both these groups encounter in their work.

The first article offers a comprehensive overview of trauma around the entire shoulder girdle along with suggestions on how to manage the findings. Muscle injury around the shoulder is then tackled with a focus on pectoralis major injury but also discussing other, perhaps less common, muscle injuries. The next two articles address anterior and posterior instability, respectively, and outline the imaging features of these two pathologic conditions. We then move on to the long head of biceps and the superior labrum. The range of normal variants in these regions are carefully described. Injury and postoperative appearances of the rotator cuff tendons and acromioclavicular joint are then depicted in the following two articles. The final article addresses the many varied techniques and options regarding image-guided intervention around the shoulder, and summarizes both the common techniques used and also the current evidence behind the various options of injectate in a range of conditions.

I hope you will find these contributions both useful and informative. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the editors for giving me the opportunity to act as guest editor for this issue of Seminars of Musculoskeletal Radiology.

Publication History

Article published online:
19 December 2022