REVIEW ARTICLE
Suprascapular Nerve Pathology: A Review of the Literature
Lazaros Kostretzis1, *, Ioannis Theodoroudis1, Achilleas Boutsiadis2, Nikolaos Papadakis1, Pericles Papadopoulos1
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2017Volume: 11
Issue: Suppl-1, M8
First Page: 140
Last Page: 153
Publisher ID: TOORTHJ-11-140
DOI: 10.2174/1874325001711010140
Article History:
Received Date: 08/01/2016Revision Received Date: 19/04/2016
Acceptance Date: 20/04/2016
Electronic publication date: 28/02/2017
Collection year: 2017
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background:
Suprascapular nerve pathology is a rare diagnosis that is increasingly gaining popularity among the conditions that cause shoulder pain and dysfunction. The suprascapular nerve passes through several osseoligamentous structures and can be compressed in several locations.
Methods:
A thorough literature search was performed using online available databases in order to carefully define the pathophysiology and to guide diagnosis and treatment.
Results:
Suprascapular neuropathy diagnosis is based on a careful history and a thorough clinical and radiological examination. Although the incidence and prevalence of the condition remain unknown, it is highly diagnosed in specific groups (overhead athletes, patients with a massive rotator cuff tear) probably due to higher interest. The location and the etiology of the compression are those that define the treatment modality.
Conclusion:
Suprascapular neuropathy diagnosis is based on a careful history and a thorough clinical and radiological examination. The purpose of this article is to describe the anatomy of the suprascapular nerve, to define the pathophysiology of suprascapular neuropathy and to present methodically the current diagnostic and treatment strategies.
