Anterior Labrum
The morphology of the labrum in this region is highly variable, with many shapes having been described [Table 9]. [6,28,33-35]
From our study, Two morphological types of anterior labrum were noted: a small yet well defined labrum and an enlarged labrum, with the former being more commonly encountered than the latter. No other study [6,22-25] has mentioned the prevalence of the different morphological types of anterior labrum obtained in this study [Table 10].
Table 9 – Variation in the morphology of the anterior labrum
Description of Variant |
% Prevalence |
|
Triangular |
Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] 64% – MR Arthrography [28] 45 % - MR Imaging [32] 50% - MR Imaging [35] |
|
Round |
Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] 17% - MR Arthrography [28] 19% - MR Imaging [32] Not specified – MR Imaging [35] |
|
Flat |
2% - MR Arthrography [28] 6% - MR Imaging [35] 7% - MR Imaging [32] |
|
Cleaved |
Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] 11% - MR Arthrography [28] 0% - MR Imaging [35] 15% – MR Imaging [32] |
|
Notched |
Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] 3% - MR Arthrography [28] 2% - MR Imaging [35] 8% – MR Imaging [32] |
|
Crescent |
Not specified – MR Imaging [35] |
|
Enlarged or Redundant |
Not specified – Arthroscopy [33] Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] |
|
Unattached |
6% – MR Imaging [35] |
|
Absent |
Not specified – Arthroscopy [34] 2% - MR Arthrography [28] 6% - MR Imaging [32] 6% - MR Imaging [35] |
|
Anterior labrum “…small yet well defined”. [34] |
Not specified - Arthroscopy [34] Not specified - CT Arthrography [33] |
|
The presence of a sulcus between the articular cartilage of the glenoid and a well developed anterior labrum [33] |
Not specified - Arthroscopy [34] Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] |
|
Strangely shaped anterior labrum |
Not specified – CT Arthrography [33] |
|
Meniscoid appearance - a space is present between the labrum and the articular cartilage. |
< 5% - Arthroscopy [6] |
|
Thin anterior labrum |
Not specified - CT Arthrography [33] |
Table 10 – Results form our review of Anterior labral variants
|
|
No. |
% |
|
Prevalence |
|
|
|
Present |
132 |
100% |
|
Absent |
0 |
0% |
|
Morphology – Anterior labrum |
|
|
|
Enlarged |
9 |
6.8% |
|
Redundant |
0 |
0% |
|
Small yet well defined |
123 |
93.2% |
|
Sulcus between articular cartilage |
0 |
0% |
|
and a well developed labrum |
|
|
|
Meniscoid |
0 |
0% |
|
Other |
0 |
0% |
Large Anterior Labrum (arrow)
