Morphological Study of Suprascapular Notch/Foramen on Adult Human Dry Scapulae and Its Clinical Implications

Abstract

The suprascapular foramen is a rare anatomical variation of the suprascapular notch, which may have clinical implications for the diagnosis and management of shoulder pain and dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, morphology, and dimensions of the Suprascapular notch/foramen in adult human dry scapulae and to explore its possible association with sex, side, and age. The study sample consisted of 85 dry scapulae obtained from the Department of Anatomy of a medical college. The scapulae were examined for the presence and type of Suprascapular notch/foramen according to the classification proposed by Natsis et al. The depth and upper width of the notch were measured using a digital caliper. The sex and age of the donors were recorded from the available records. The results showed that Suprascapular notch was absent in 13%, slight indentation was present in 22%, J shaped in 15%, U shaped in 40% and V shaped in 7%. Type I was seen in 13%, Type II was seen in 15%, Type III was seen in 42%. Type IV & V were not seen. The mean depth and upper width of the notch were 7.2 mm and 12.4 mm, respectively. The study concluded that the presence of a foramen may alter the course and compression of the suprascapular nerve, leading to shoulder pain, weakness, atrophy, and reduced range of motion. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of this variation and consider it in the differential diagnosis and treatment of shoulder disorders.