Morphological variations of the suprascapular notch and its clinical correlation with suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome

Abstract

The suprascapular notch present medial to the coracoid process serves as a passage for the suprascapular nerve which supplies the rotator cuff muscles and ligaments in the acromio-clavicular and shoulder joints. The suprascapular nerve is commonly compressed at the suprascapular notch, which can result in severe shoulder pain, weakness of the arm, restricted range of movement, and eventually, atrophy of the muscles supplied by the nerve. The syndrome of suprascapular nerve entrapment is a significant differential diagnosis of shoulder pain. Unfortunately, it is often neglected while diagnosing shoulder pain or discomfort. Our study's main objective is to examine how often different morphological variations occur in the suprascapular notch and their potential role in causing suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome. We grossly examined 70 scapula to identify the presence, absence and type of suprascapular notch. We documented the observed variations of the suprascapular notch by capturing photographs and organizing the findings in a table. According to our findings, Type 3 (U-shaped notch) was the most frequently observed morphological variation of the suprascapular notch, while Type 1 (absence of suprascapular notch) was the least commonly found. Our findings provide fresh perspectives when compared to prior research. Having knowledge of the morphological variations of the suprascapular notch plays a vital role in accurately diagnosing suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome using non-invasive diagnostic imaging and planning the most suitable surgical interventions.