Musculoskeletal Pathologies Affecting Shoulder Girdle: A Systematic Review with Anatomical and Radiological Validation

Introduction: Musculoskeletal pathologies affecting shoulder girdle joints, other than gleno-humeral joints such as acromioclavicular joint arthritis, tendonitis, subacromial bursitis, subdeltoid bursitis, and osteochondritis dissecans, are relatively rare. In the Middle East and Asian countries, public health services are generally availed by a large number of patients in primary health centers, rural hospitals, and district hospitals, but the scarcity of specialist orthopedic surgeons in such hospitals usually leads to misdiagnosis of rare musculoskeletal pathologies, which may result in complications and morbidity. Objectives: To determine the presentation, progression, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment of musculoskeletal pathologies affecting the shoulder girdle and develop an algorithm to screen such pathologies. Methods: A systematic literature search of four medical databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar) was conducted, from 1st January 1950 to 31st December 2022. Studies (case reports, prospective studies, review articles) reporting pathological conditions affecting shoulder girdles, with a focus on clinical presentation, physical examination tests required for diagnostic evaluation, and management, were included. The relevant data was extracted from the selected studies and tabulated for analysis. Results and Discussion: Seventeen studies were included in the final analysis. Several case reports, case series, and review articles showed that very few musculoskeletal conditions can be correctly diagnosed based on only physical examination tests. The radiological and anatomical basis of each of the cases were discussed. Conclusion: Based on clinical presentation and examination findings, an algorithm was prepared to help diagnose shoulder girdle pathologies.