Abstract
Entrapment neuropathies of the shoulder most commonly involve the suprascapular or
axillary nerves, and they primarily affect the younger, athletic patient population.
The extremes of shoulder mobility required for competitive overhead athletes, particularly
in the position of abduction and external rotation, place this cohort at particular
risk. Anatomically, the suprascapular nerve is most prone to entrapment at the level
of the suprascapular or spinoglenoid notch; the axillary nerve is most prone to entrapment
as it traverses the confines of the quadrilateral space.
Radiographs should be ordered as a primary imaging study to evaluate for obvious pathology
occurring along the course of the nerves or for pathology predisposing the patient
to nerve injury. Magnetic resonance imaging plays a role in not only identifying any
mass-compressing lesion along the course of the nerve, but also in identifying muscle
signal changes typical for denervation and/or fatty atrophy in the distribution of
the involved nerve.
Keywords
nerve - shoulder - magnetic resonance imaging
