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Normal and Pathological Anatomy of the Shoulder pp 381–392Cite as

Anterior Surgical Approaches to the Shoulder

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Abstract

The majority of shoulder surgery is performed via the anterior or anterolateral aspect of the shoulder joint. The deltopectoral approach is the workhouse approach to the shoulder for use in shoulder stabilisation, arthroplasty and fracture fixation. There are several modifications to this approach to increase exposure, such as coracoid or clavicle osteotomy or anterior deltoid release. A detailed discussion of the surgical anatomy is presented with diagrammatic representation of the key points. The important neurovascular anatomy for the various extensile procedures and manoeuvres aimed at releasing the joint are also discussed in detail.

Keywords

  • Shoulder approach
  • Shoulder arthroplasty
  • Delto-pectoral
  • Deltoid splitting
  • Clavicle osteotomy

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Jim and Jodie Kelly, Medical Engineering and Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology, for their generous assistance with cadaveric specimens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brisbane Hand and Upper Limb Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia

    Mark Ross MBBS, FRACS, FAOrthA & Kieran Hirpara MB, BCh, BAO, MD, FRCS (Orth)

  2. Orthopaedic Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

    Mark Ross MBBS, FRACS, FAOrthA & Kieran Hirpara MB, BCh, BAO, MD, FRCS (Orth)

  3. School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

    Mark Ross MBBS, FRACS, FAOrthA

  4. Orthopaedic Department, Clínica Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

    Miguel Pinedo MD & Vicente Gutierrez MD

Authors
  1. Mark Ross MBBS, FRACS, FAOrthA
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  2. Kieran Hirpara MB, BCh, BAO, MD, FRCS (Orth)
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  3. Miguel Pinedo MD
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  4. Vicente Gutierrez MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Ross MBBS, FRACS, FAOrthA .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Gregory I. Bain

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Eiji Itoi

  3. Orthopaedic, Concordia Hospital for Special Surgery, Rome, Italy

    Giovanni Di Giacomo

  4. Funabashi Orthopaedic Sports Med Cn Shoulder & Elbow Service, Chiba, Japan

    Hiroyuki Sugaya

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Ross, M., Hirpara, K., Pinedo, M., Gutierrez, V. (2015). Anterior Surgical Approaches to the Shoulder. In: Bain, G., Itoi, E., Di Giacomo, G., Sugaya, H. (eds) Normal and Pathological Anatomy of the Shoulder. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45719-1_37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45719-1_37

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-45718-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-45719-1

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