Professor Mark Ross and Visiting Shoulder Fellow Dr Kieran Hirpara (MB, BCh, BAO, MD, FRCSOrth) contributed to a book chapter describing the “Anterior Shoulder Approaches to the Shoulder.” The text book “Normal and Pathological Anatomy of the Shoulder” is edited by Dr Gregory Bain, Dr Eiji Itoi, Dr Giovanni Di Giacomo and Dr Hioyuki Sugaya by Springer Publishing.
The book chapter is a major contribution to the field as the majority of shoulder surgery is performed via the anterior or anterolateral aspect of the shoulder joint. It describes the deltopectoral approach to the shoulder for use in shoulder stabilisation, arthroplasty and fracture fixation, as well as several modifications to this approach to increase exposure, such as coracoid or clavicle osteotomy or anterior deltoid release. It includes a detailed discussion of the surgical anatomy 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.