The Problem Shoulder impingement is a common cause of shoulder pain, described by Neer in 1972 as a ridge of proliferative spurs on the undersurface of the anterior process of the acromion. These spurs allow for repeated contact of the rotator cuff and humeral head with traction of the coracoacromial (CA) ligament. The concept of…
The Problem For the purpose of this review, shoulder cartilage damage will be divided into two categories: diffuse joint destruction involving both the humeral head and glenoid (bipolar) or focal chondral defect (unipolar). In a young or high demand patient with diffuse bipolar shoulder arthritis where arthroplasty is undesirable, the surgeon must understand the role…
