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CMAJ
CMAJ - July 25, 2000JAMC - le 25 juillet 2000

The shoulder bone's connected to the ...

CMAJ 2000;163(2):159

In response to: B.B. Hobbs, L.M.F. Thain
The figure1 was intended to provide a simplified, quick reminder of the difference between a tendon, bursa, joint capsule and joint. It was not inteded to be detailed, nor was it intended to represent a shoulder in any normal or special abduction. Clearly, a more detailed figure would have been more anatomically correct; however, there is the risk of losing the message in the detail.

It is worth noting that the subacromial–subdeltoid bursa is called either the subacromial bursa or the subdeltoid bursa in various rheumatology texts, and rheumatologists use either name to refer to the bursa. The size of the bursa does vary among patients.

I thank Barry Hobbs and Lisa Thain for their critical review of the figure. It serves to remind readers that the shoulder is more complex than the illustration used in this article and that my figure should not be used as an anatomically correct guide.

Stephanie Ensworth
Rheumatologist
Arthritis Research Centre of Canada
Vancouver, BC

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Reference
  1. Ensworth S. Rheumatology: 1. Is it arthritis? CMAJ 2000;162(7):1011-6.

© 2000 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors