Glenohumeral articular contact areas and pressures following labral and osseous injury to the anteroinferior quadrant of the glenoid

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of progressive labral and bone loss on the articular contact area and pressures across the glenohumeral joint under compressive loads of 220 and 440 N. Eight fresh-frozen cadaver shoulders were used, and contact pressures in 4 quadrants of the glenoid were determined with a Tekscan flexible tactile force sensor. Testing conditions included intact glenoids, glenoids with the anteroinferior labrum removed, and glenoids with 3 sizes of bone defects in the anteroinferior quadrant. By means of Tekscan sensing equipment, the measured contact area over the glenolabral complex was between 49.0% and 61.5% of the calculated surface area for the intact specimens. Loss of the anteroinferior labrum decreased contact area by 7% to 15% compared with the intact specimens, and the mean contact pressure increased by 8% to 20%. With bone loss corresponding to a defect measuring 30% of the diameter in the anteroinferior quadrant, contact area across the entire glenoid decreased a mean of 41% compared with the intact specimens, whereas the mean contact pressure increased nearly 100%. When the anteroinferior quadrant of the glenoid was analyzed separately, loss of the anteroinferior labrum alone resulted in an increase in the mean contact pressure in this quadrant compared with the intact specimens (mean, 53%). Bone loss of 30% of the diameter resulted in mean contact pressures in this quadrant increasing by 300% to 400% compared with the intact specimens, with 2 of 8 specimens becoming grossly unstable. In addition, with 30% diameter bone loss, the mean contact pressure decreased by 26% in the posterosuperior quadrant, indicating a shift in loading of the cadaveric glenoid. Peak pressures followed similar trends, with labral loss alone increasing peak pressures in the anteroinferior quadrant by a mean of 28% of that seen for the intact specimens. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2002;11:442-51)