Developmental anatomy of the shoulder

Abstract

The human shoulder complex comprises of articulations between the clavicle, the scapula, the humerus and the chest wall. It is composed of four synovial joints: The glenohumeral, the sterno-clavicular and the acromio-clavicular joint. Although the space between the scapula and the chest wall is not a true joint, this articulation is commonly regarded as the scapulo-thoracic joint. Stability at these joints is provided by a variety of ligamentous and muscular structures that appear during the human prenatal life. While many reports focused on postnatal development of the musculoskeletal system, there is a lack of information regarding the embrionary and fetal development. In this chapter, the most relevant published findings regarding shoulder development are described, showing a simple chronological view with special emphasis on the embryological and fetal development and its relationship with that of the adult.